


Fairytales Start With Curses

by LiteratureLocker



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Human!Alex, Kara is not Supergirl, Slow Burn, Witch!Lena, not mon-el friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-08-06 20:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 63,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16394624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteratureLocker/pseuds/LiteratureLocker
Summary: Alex never really fit in, which wouldn't have been a big deal if she felt comfortable in her own skin. She doesn't for the record.  She doesn't feel comfortable with the other villagers, her own family, or on her own.  That is until she stumbles across several curses that leave burns and scars behind, making her stand out and feel unique.  Now if only the Witch who lived in the woods would stop being so pissed at her for ruining all of her hard work.OrThe "a princess accidentally wrongs a witch and is cursed so that no man shall ever love her.  Fortunately, the princess is a lesbian and is overjoyed" AU that no one asked for but is now stuck reading.





	1. Once Upon a Time...Or so the story goes

**Author's Note:**

> My roommate got sick of hearing me complain about my writer's block, so she gave me two prompts from the writing-prompt-s tumblr. This is the product of a lot of late night writing and more than my fair share of beer. Enjoy the result of the following prompts:
> 
> "A princess accidentally wrongs a witch and is cursed so that no man shall ever love her. Fortunately, the princess is a lesbian and is overjoyed. When the witch finds out her spell backfired she is furious, and goes to confront the princess. Except now that she's a little calmer, the princess is super cute? Sparks fly, and not because of a magic spell."
> 
> And 
> 
> "Curses aren't uncommon, but they are unpleasant. Most people accidentally pick up one, maybe two minor ones in their lives. You, on the other hand, are at 30 and counting, including a few major ones. You aren't unlucky though; you've done this very purposefully."
> 
> xxxxxxxxxxxx

She took several steadying breaths as she leaned up against the ancient tree next to her. Running her hand through her short, sweat soaked hair, she let out a grunt of frustration. She tried again to reorient herself using the sunlight that was struggling to penetrate the thick canopy of the forest. So far she had stayed true to the usual path she followed on these types of excursions. She _knew_ she was heading in the right direction.

_So why the hell hadn’t she found it yet?_

“It has to be here somewhere,” she cursed under her breath as she took a drink from her water skin. Letting the object fall back against her side, she moved to idly tracing her fingers over the black markings that ran up and down her arms. Some were small and wispy. Others were large, angular, thick patterns. Varying sizes, shapes and styles that flowed effortlessly across her skin, covering most of her body in a way that showed just _how_ cursed she actually was.

Her fingers danced gently over the first marking she had received. It was a thin-lined starburst pattern near her left wrist that pulsed with a warmth at both sunrise and sunset… every sunrise and sunset. She smiled at the ridiculousness of that particular curse, thinking fondly on exactly how she got it and how it held its own innocent charm. If she was being honest with herself, it was the first in a long line of utterly useless curses, things that were minor inconveniences but held no real punch or life altering effect. Those particular curses always presented as smaller, lighter markings that had an almost ethereal quality to them. The more serious curses always manifested as the thicker lined, harsh, angular patterns that always stood out the most.

Alex let herself slide down the tree, the bark digging slightly into her back as she settled herself at the base. It was a tree she was familiar with, one she had rested under several times in the past. And as she took another drink from her water skin, she let her mind wander to the first time she had encountered this particular tree.

 

   

 

  _“I did too see her!” Winn exclaimed as he stood with his back to the forest._

_Alex squinted deeper into the foliage even as she scoffed. She was eighteen for spirit’s sake, there was no way she still believed in those old stories. “She doesn’t exist Winn! She was killed a long time ago.”_

_“I don’t know, Alex. Weird stuff still happens in those woods all the time.”_

_The young brunette rolled her eyes at her friend. “Really J’onn? You can’t seriously still believe in the Witch of the woods! No one's heard from her for over ten years!”_

_The boy shrugged. “Look, all I know is that a few weeks ago, the King took some of his men into the forest for a hunt, and one of the horses came back blind as a bat.”_

_“No it didn’t,” Alex protested as Winn exclaimed “See!?” behind her._

_J’onn turned to glare at her. “Are you calling my dad a liar!? You know he works in the stables!”_

_Alex shook her head as she let out an exasperated sigh. “I can’t believe the two of you. This is stupid.”_

_“Oh yeah? Then why don’t you go in there and prove us wrong?” Winn asked, the whine of his voice grating on Alex’s nerves._

_“Maybe I will.”_

_“Alex,” J’onn tried to warn her. He knew that look in her eye. She was about to do something really dumb._

_“I bet you won’t.”_

_Alex laughed as she turned to Winn. “Oh yeah? I bet I will.”_

_“Do it then,” the smaller boy goaded._

_“I will. And to prove it further, I’ll spend a long time in there. All night even.”_

_J’onn’s eyebrows rose in disbelief at that. He took a step towards his friend. “Alex, you don’t need to prove anything.”_

_“Yes, I do. I need to prove that Winn is a baby and that the witch doesn’t exist anymore.”_

_“I’m not a baby!”_

_Alex chuckled. “So you’ll come with me then?”_

_“That wasn’t the deal. You have to go alone. No one else. Not even your sister.”_

_“Who needs her anyway,” Alex grumbled at the mention of her sister. Kara was the most popular child in the village and their parents’ favorite. She was never in trouble and always did everything right. The complete opposite of Alex, who couldn’t seem to get anything right._

_“Well are you going, or what?” Winn asked._

_“Yeah, I’m going. See you idiots in the morning.”_

_And with that she lifted her chin and practically marched herself into the forest, forcing her eyes to keep looking forward. She knew that if she looked back at the village, she’d second guess this decision._

_She walked deeper into the forest, maybe an hour, before she found a decent clearing and settled herself down. She quickly gathered up enough wood to last the night and efficiently stacked it under the overhang of a tree. She took a few smaller branches and leaned them against each other over a bed of kindling. Alex sighed as she pulled the flint out the pouch on her belt._

_She said a quick thank you to her father who taught her how to survive in the wilderness when she was younger. She had never really seen eye to eye with her mother, the older woman preferring the company of her youngest daughter who was more interested in fashion and cooking and finding a suitable husband. Hell, even at fourteen, Kara had already had three boyfriends. That couldn’t be further from Alex’s personality, which is why she and her mother often clashed on every aspect of daily life._

_Her mother felt like she should spend her time in the house, learning how to make it a home, how to cook and bake and clean. And once she was done with that, her mother expected her to go to the village center in order to socialize with the knights and farmers there. Alex had always preferred being on her own, had preferred mud and hard labor that left her with sore muscles the next day. Her father had merely smiled adoringly at his elder daughter, ruffled her hair and taught her to fish and hunt and build a fire._

_It was at times like this that Alex really missed her father. He had passed away two summers ago, leaving the family fractured in a way that Alex wasn’t sure they would be able to recover from. She carefully tucked the flint and her knife away once the fire was burning brightly in front of her, doing its best to cast a friendly glow around the small clearing._

_“Now I just wait until morning. No big deal,” Alex mumbled to herself as she settled back against the tree she was sitting under._

_It wasn’t a big deal either, until a few hours later. Alex had tossed more wood on the fire and nodded off to sleep soon after nightfall. A loud crash from somewhere nearby jolted her awake and immediately had her scanning her surroundings._

_Alex froze, breath held, as she listened for more sounds to come from the forest. After a few tense seconds passed with nothing, Alex slumped back against the tree in relief. That is until another loud crash sounded from directly behind her, forcing her to jump to her feet before taking off at a dead sprint as a third crash sounded nearby._

_As she ran headlong into the forest, Alex tried to keep some sense of where she was going. The last thing she needed was to get lost out here. But tree after tree blended together until Alex could no longer tell them apart. One turn bled into the next until she had gotten tired and her muscles screamed for a break. Only then did Alex stop and lean up against a rather large, ancient tree with branches that twisted, one over the next, creating a rather ominous sight._

_Alex tried to move air through her protesting lungs as she slumped against the trunk of the tree, her fingers digging into the rough bark. She listened intently for any sounds that could tip her off as to where the thing was that had been making all that noise. When nothing sounded around her, Alex settled with her right shoulder against the bark of the tree as her hands dropped to her knees. She had never been so desperate to breathe than she was in that moment._

_As she tried to slow her rapidly beating heart, her right hand moved up the trunk of the tree slightly in an attempt to better steady her shaking body. Her mind stuttered to a stop as her fingers danced lightly over a pattern in the bark. Everything that had been an emergency — her breathing, running from an unseen monster, getting lost in the woods— it all faded to the background as her body snapped to attention. The only thing that seemed to matter in that moment was the fact that the design that was carved into the wood shouldn’t be there. The design that shouldn’t be there was calling to her in a way that she couldn’t deny, in a way that had her body reacting automatically._

_The pull from the design was so great that the world faded away around her as her fingers idly traced the outline of the design, as if they had a mind of their own. As her fingers completed the first pass of the pattern, it started to glow a muted orange and Alex found herself stepping closer to the tree, closer to the design without actually thinking about it._

_She winced and recoiled from the bark, the feeling of something igniting on her left wrist, pulling her attention away from the tree. Alex grunted in pain, her right hand coming up to cover her wrist as the burning intensified. If she had really been paying attention to her surroundings, she would have noticed the carving on the tree as it flared a bright orange and then slowly disappear. Instead she gripped at her arm, cradling it close to her chest, and stumbled away from the tree, her breath coming in short, staccato gasps once again._

_As the burning turned into a dull throb, Alex removed her hand and looked down at her wrist. The same design that had been on the tree was now marked on her skin in a thin black outline. Somehow it looked beautiful there, appearing almost spectral. Her head dipped slightly to the side as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion._

_“What the…?” she murmured as her fingers traced the design on her wrist again. Her eyes darted to the tree, then to her wrist before coming to rest on the tree. It was obvious that her mind was desperately trying to catch up to what her eyes were seeing._

_“It can’t be,” she whispered to herself as her eyes quickly scanned the forest around her. Every story about the Witch of the woods she had ever heard was quickly skating through her mind, every last detail was vying for attention as her ears tried desperately to listen for the monster that had been chasing her only a few seconds ago. The woods around her were still, eerily so as her fingers stopped tracing the design and were instead gripping tightly at her wrist._

_She took one last look around the clearing, and upon hearing nothing else from the beast that had been chasing her, she took off into the forest again. The last thing on her mind at that moment was the bet she had made with Winn and J’onn. She just knew she had to leave, she couldn’t stay there. Not after everything that had just happened._

_As it turned out, she didn’t need to worry because it took her the rest of the night to find the path that would lead her out of the woods. As she walked out of the tree line, the sun was peaking over the horizon and the marking on her wrist began to tingle as a warmth radiated from the design, pulsing in time with her heart beat._

   

 

Alex smiled to herself as her fingers then shifted to the base of her neck where a small circular design was marked into the skin. That one was next, and if she was being honest with herself, was even more ridiculous than the first one.

The first marking had been easy enough to hide under a large leather cuff. The repercussions of the curse weren’t that bad either. The pulsing warmth had become a comfort, a constant companion that made her smile every time she felt it.

The second marking though? That one was not as easy to hide, and was a little more annoying than some of the other ones she had accumulated over the years. It had been a few months since that first night in the forest, and Alex had found herself marching through the trees once again. The mark on her wrist had acted almost like a guide, warming up when she turned a certain way and cooling off when she turned another.

She had been hoping to find some answers about exactly what had happened that night, and instead found herself standing in front of that old tree once again. Without stopping to think about it, her finger had gently traced the new circular design that had been carved into the bark. And once again, a burning sensation had bit at her skin, this time at the base of her neck.

At first nothing had happened, which led Alex to believe that the marking had been a dud. That was until later that night when her mother had given her her favorite dessert. As soon as her first bite of strawberry shortcake had hit her tongue, Alex had sneezed three times in very quick succession. She had shrugged it off as a coincidence until she tried to take a second bite, which ended much the same as the first.

Alex could still remember the look on her sister’s face as she cursed under her breath, basically throwing the spoon back into the bowl. She could still feel the heartbreak that had settled in her chest as she was forced to push the bowl across the table to Kara, mumbling something about not being hungry.

_Well shit_ , she had thought as she went to bed that night. _Had to be strawberries. Of course it did_.

Alex had returned to that tree several times over the next few years without actually knowing or understanding why. And all of the curses she had picked up didn’t seem all that serious. Most of them had been minor annoyances like the one that made sure she couldn’t count higher than the number ten, or the one that gave her the ability to suddenly know the name and use of any plant she looked at. That one had actually proven very useful.

Her most interesting one though…? Yeah, that one gave her the ability to taste the color yellow. When she discovered that one, it had scared her and pretty much everyone else at market. She had been sent by her mother to purchase flowers from the local vendor. And as she took the bouquet, her fingers brushed over the petals of a marigold. Immediately a rush of citrus burst through her mouth. It wasn’t unpleasant, quite the opposite actually. It was tart, just shy of sour, fresh and strangely alluring, with a gentle sweet after taste. So it wasn’t the flavor the had startled her, it was the fact that she was tasting anything at all. She hadn’t been eating anything. The abrupt appearance of the flavor had her yelling out a “What the fuck!?” in surprise and dropping the flowers on the ground. She had quickly apologized, gathered the now dirty flowers and run straight home, ignoring the confused and affronted glares that followed her as she disappeared down the road.

Some however, were not that pleasant. For example, she now cries every time it rains, gets a rash after eating beef that oddly resembled the markings of a cow, can no longer sleep between midnight and sunrise, and stutters over words ending in -ing. The fact that horses are now inexplicably scared of her and she can no longer walk quietly have both made hunting rather impossible, but she still manages.

The one she would always be thankful for though, is the marking that sat glaringly upon the right side of her neck. It was dark, angular and harsh. It stood out against her tanned skin and to be honest, Alex wore it proudly. It was her favorite after all. It had enraged her mother and had ultimately saved her from a disastrous arranged marriage.

 

 

_Twenty-three year old Alex stormed out of her mother’s house, the rage she was feeling simmered just below the surface and was begging to be let out. The relationship she had with her mother had always been strained, the eldest Danvers woman had never really stopped to listen to her oldest daughter. That much was obvious after their many arguments over her apprenticeship at the blacksmith’s, her moving into the room above the smithy, cutting her hair short…. the list was quite extensive._

_Any time Alex expressed herself in a way that did not fit into her mother’s picture perfect life, she took it out on the brunette. It wasn’t that Eliza didn’t love her daughter, it was just that she didn’t understand her. She didn’t get why Alex would want a job that would callous her hands, why she cut her hair so short, or why the hell she insisted on wearing men’s britches._

_“Alexandra! Alexandra, please slow down! Let’s talk about this!”_

_Alex turned to face her mother, “I can’t believe you!” she seethed as her mother came to stop right in front of her._

_“He’s a lovely young man, only a few years older than you, handsome and willing to take on a wife who is—“_

_“Who is what? As old as me?!? As ugly as me!? A wife who is what, mother!?”_

_Eliza stumbled back a few paces as her daughter’s eyes flashed dangerously and her face turned a deep red. “I was going to say as stubborn and outspoken as you,” she placated as her hands came up in a soothing manner._

_“Well I don’t want a husband, mother! I’m quite content on my own.” Alex turned and started walking away again. “Which you would know if you actually stopped to listen to me!” she threw over her shoulder without stopping to look back._

_Eliza had watched her go, wondering exactly where she had gone so wrong with one daughter and so right with the other. “If only she was more like Kara,” Eliza had muttered to herself as she turned and went back inside the house._

_Alex angrily walked through the village, no real destination in mind. All she knew was that she had to get away from her family for a little while. “I can’t believe she ‘found’ me a husband. As if it was hard. As if I want one. She’s so dense. Be more like Kara my ass,” she grumbled as made her way out of the village and through the meadow that lay between the market and the tree line._

_“If she actually stopped to look at her daughters, she’d see that Kara is miserable in her arranged marriage to Mon-el. That jackass isn’t deserving of my sister.”_

_Alex stopped abruptly when she realized that she was standing once more at the entrance to the forest. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face as she picked up her pace and easily made her way back to the clearing. If there was anything that could make her feel better, it a was a new curse from the Witch._

_All of them had been innocent enough, and the markings the curses left actually made her feel special, unique. No one else in the village had the markings as far as she knew, and with each new curse visible on her skin, she felt more like herself. It was almost as if the Witch was leaving these specific curses for her. As if she knew which ones would look good emblazoned on her skin._

_That particular thought thrummed pleasantly in her chest. It felt as if the Witch was speaking directly to her, and Alex couldn’t have been happier. Well, she could be if the Witch would just come talk to her already. She had to know that it was Alex taking on all of her curses. She had to know that Alex was doing it purposefully at this point, that she was doing it in order to feel closer to the Witch._

_It was true. After five years of this, Alex felt connected to the Witch in ways that she probably shouldn’t. She was feeling things for the Witch that she probably shouldn’t. And it was definitely possible that the Witch was a hundred years old, but Alex felt like she was younger, and hopefully hotter than how the villagers usually described her. It was silly, Alex knew that, this crush she had on the Witch. But she couldn’t bring herself to get over it, not until she saw the woman with her own eyes anyway._

_So every few months, Alex ventured into the woods, hoping to find the Witch waiting for her. Instead she was left with a new curse, which was okay with Alex in the long run. All good things come in time, she told herself as she hurried once more through the familiar trees._

_When she finally came to a stop in front of the tree, Alex’s face split into a massive grin. There in the middle of the tree was a rather large, angular carving that was taking up a good portion of the bark. The lines were thick and wove together in a flowing pattern, making it hard to see where one line ended and another began. The design was intimidating to say the least, but was also oddly beautiful in its own way._

_Alex stepped closer to the tree, her hand unconsciously raising on its own. She hesitated, her fingers stopping inches short of the design. This one felt different, more important than the others. The design was definitely bigger, bolder than the others. The only one to come close was the curse that took up a decent part of her right shoulder blade — the one that led to horses being afraid of her. Even that one wasn’t as bold as this one._

_As she stood there contemplating if she wanted to take this curse on, her mother’s words echoed around in her head, causing Alex’s brows to furrow. If that woman was going to try and set Alex up with someone, Alex was sure as hell going to make it difficult for her. No man in his right mind would want a wife with so many markings on her skin. With determination now coursing through her, Alex didn’t wait another second before her fingers began tracing the design._

_She whimpered as her fingers completed the second pass as the now familiar burning flared on the right side of her neck. She ignored the pain, even if it was hurting more than usual, as her fingers completed the third pass. The design flared a bright orange before it disappeared completely. Alex stepped back, her hand grasping lightly at the new design that felt like it took up the entire right side of her neck._

_Good, she had thought to herself as she turned and started her hike out of the forest. There’s no man alive who would take me as his wife now._

 

 

Alex had been wrong. The man, Maxwell Lord, had still agreed to marry her. Their first meeting was the following morning, and initially Maxwell had started at the sight of her. Granted, Alex hadn’t put any real effort into her appearance. She had put on a pair of beat up britches and a dirty white shirt, her hair was barely styled and she was wearing two large leather cuffs on her wrists. She had argued her appearance to her mother as she left the house, stating that she was going to work immediately after the meeting and didn’t want to have to change again.

Maxwell’s eyes had slowly taken in her clothing and hair, but his eyes were constantly drifting to her markings even as they walked through the village to his farm. He had wanted to show her where they would be living, which only frustrated Alex. She had been so sure that morning that he would have taken one look at her and run the other way. But he had dutifully showed her around the farm, spending more time than necessary on the house.

It wasn’t until he was showing her the cows he kept on the land that things took an interesting turn. Maxwell had been introducing her to the cows, letting her pet each one as they made their way through the field. As they had approached the third one, the first two had suddenly fallen over. Maxwell had immediately run over to them, and upon finding them dead, he pointed at Alex, fear flashing in his eyes. “What the hell did you do!?”

Alex had put her hands up defensively and tried to explain the curses, but Maxwell hadn’t wanted to hear any of it. He yelled at her until she had run all the way back to her house, grabbed what little money she had stashed in her room and sent Kara back to the Lord farm in order to pay for the two dead cows.

Needless to say Maxwell Lord took back his offer of marriage soon after, and Alex had spent the next couple of weeks thanking the Witch for that particular curse.

     That had been over three years ago, and Alex had gathered a few more minor curses in the mean time. But now she needed another big one. She needed another death upon your cow type of curse because her mother was once again up to her old tricks. This time it was a man by the name of Morgan Edge who was a traveling merchant looking to put down roots somewhere with a woman to call his wife.

That thought had Alex rising to her feet and setting off back into the woods. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this time was different, something was wrong, but she desperately needed a new curse to help her ward off the advances of Mr. Edge. Alex sighed as she stopped in what she was convinced was the right clearing. Rao knows she had been here enough to know it like the back of her hand, but the tree was nowhere in sight.

As Alex took a step to where the tree should have been, a weird fog began rising from the ground, spreading quickly through the clearing until she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her face.

“So you’re the one who’s been stealing all of my curses.”

Alex froze, trying desperately to ignore the way that voice sent shivers shooting down her spine. It was melodic with a hint of an accent, and it did weird things to her insides. Alex tried not to smile at the implications of what was happening.

“You ignored all of my warnings and just kept coming back. Have you no respect for a person’s privacy!?”

Alex licked her lips as her eyes darted around the clearing, frantically trying to see through the fog. “Please come out so I can see you.”

The voice actually scoffed. “You dare wish to look upon my face!? You are not worthy! Not after the blatant disregard you have shown here! I curse you now, once more, one final time!”

“No! Please! I need these curses!” Alex cried out in desperation, her hand coming up and reach out towards the white mist.

“You know nothing of needing something. You only want, you only take, you only destroy what I have spent so long constructing. Take this final curse and live with it for the rest of your days!”

Alex’s hand dropped and her shoulders sagged as the Witch’s words washed over her. “Please don’t say that,” she practically whimpered. “Don’t you know what all of this means to me? Why I keep coming back?”

“Silence!”

The disembodied voice echoed harshly around the clearing. Alex’s head whipped around, her eyes darted around the mist wanting nothing more than to catch a glimpse of the Witch. If this was really going to be the last time, she needed to see what she looked like.

“I curse you so that no man will ever love you for as long as you live!”

As the Witch spoke, an orange design slowly appeared in front of her and flickered along with the mist. The Witch then said a few phrases in a language that Alex didn’t understand and the design was flying towards her.

This time the pain was different. Instead of the familiar burning, there was a piercing pain that sliced through Alex’s chest. The force of the curse caused her to step back a few steps, and her breath to leave her in a quick rush. A chilling cold settled deep in her chest, causing her hand to grip at her shirt while she tried to rub some warmth into her skin.

The mist then turned a light purple as the Witch continued to speak in the different language. Alex could feel her body start to disconnect with reality, and realizing that the Witch was probably sending her somewhere else, Alex looked out into the mist one last time.

“Thank you for everything,” she whispered as her limbs became transparent. The next thing she knew, it felt as though she was flying sideways. The scenery around her became a blur of colors, her equilibrium became wonky and right before she threw up, she was dumped unceremoniously in the middle of the village with a massive case of vertigo raging war on her insides.

Alex took a few moments to compose herself, trying to ignore the looks the rest of the villagers were sending her way. Once the world stopped spinning, Alex shakily got to her feet and headed to her room above the smith. She needed a minute to consider what that last curse meant, not wanting to get her hopes up too much. She would go to work today as if nothing had happened, and then she would meet this Morgan Edge in the morning to test the curse.

Alex couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips as she thought about the Witch and her alluring voice. She needed to meet that woman, and she needed a plan.


	2. There's two sides to every story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a little later than I wanted it to be. But a Supercorp fic took hold of my muse and wouldn't let go. Then my job got in the way and I honestly didn't have the energy to actually sit and write. But we're heading into the offseason, so I should have more time now to work on writing for you all.
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments this fic has gotten. I didn't expect much of a response to this story, but you have been nothing short of amazing. I promise to work on getting you quicker updates... you deserve it for the amount of love you have shown.
> 
>  
> 
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lena was _pissed_.

No, she was _beyond_ pissed.

Fuck that, she couldn’t even find a word that described how she was feeling right now.

It had started innocently enough, and at first, Lena had considered it a game. She would practice putting a spell up by carving it into the trunk of an ancient tree. It had become a way to pass the time seeing as living in the forest didn’t provide the most eventful lifestyle out there. And seeing as it wasn’t the easiest method of spellcasting, she knew that it would make other forms of spellcraft easier. It was a way to practice her runes and her spells without hurting anyone.

Her entire childhood no one had come this deep into the forest, so when it was time for her to start practicing those spells and curses, she figured she was safe carving the runes into a tree. She initially picked it because it was large, the bark an expansive canvas, and it had provided her with plenty of space to fit multiple curses on it at once.

She hadn’t figured that someone would be foolish enough to come all the way out here, let alone find the tree and trace the rune in order to take the curse on themselves. She had put that one up merely as practice, not believing for a second that someone would actually touch the rune. But apparently she had been wrong, and someone _was_ that stupid.

She had shrugged it off and written it off as a one-time thing. Then it happened with her second, third and fourth curses. At that point, Lena knew it wasn’t an accident. No. Someone was coming deep into _her_ forest and _purposely_ taking the curses on themselves.  She had no idea what kind person would do that. They had to be some sort of idiot to be coming this far onto her land to take on her curses. There was no other explanation for it other than that.

So she kept putting the curses up, using the opportunity to practice her craft and if this idiot wanted to keep stealing her work, then so be it. But the more time that went on, the more aggravated Lena found herself becoming. There was absolutely _no need_ for anyone to continuously come out here onto her land and take her curses. This was _her_ space and she didn’t need anyone interfering with her life.

Her mother had once asked her if she was sure it was just one person and not multiple people. _That_ idea had given Lena pause, the possibility that more than one person was this stupid had never crossed her mind. But Lilian had been insistent, so Lena had cast a tracking spell that let her see the auras of the people who had been in the area. There were exactly three: hers, her mother’s and this insipid villager’s.

Once it had been confirmed that it was, in fact, one dimwit out there stealing her curses, that solidified the next step in her mind. If this villager was going to keep crossing the border and enter her sanctuary uninvited, she would up the ante. The next curse she had placed was a little more dramatic than the other ones. It made the last several look like child’s play.

Lena had walked away from the tree that morning feeling proud of herself for coming up with this new plan. Once this commoner realized that the curse she had just inscribed on the tree would stop her from being able to eat beef without being humiliated after, they would surely stop.

But they hadn’t. And the ones that followed had forced this person into more ridiculous situations and reactions to everyday things. As the seriousness of the curse increased, so did it’s the physical presence on the person’s body. Lena had also done that on purpose as she created the runes, adding the flair of inscribing themselves on more visible parts of the person’s body. And yet the person persisted.

So she developed this last curse, worked on it tirelessly until she could write it in a thick mist and then sat waiting. Finally, the day came when the villager, that _woman_ , came looking for the tree and found her lying in wait instead.

 

 

 

 

_“Years,” Lena hissed as she waved her hand in front of the tree, cloaking it and herself from sight as she sat underneath it. “I cannot believe I have spent years trying to scare this inane peasant away from my land. All I want is to live in peace! Is that too much to ask!?”_

_She crossed her arms in a huff and leaned back against the tree. She had been coming back here every day for two weeks waiting for the fool, another fact that had her seething. At this point, she wanted nothing more than to destroy this person and go on with her life in perfect solitude._

_Which is what the villagers would expect her to do, eliminate the threat by whatever means necessary. She heard the rumors and knew what they thought of her and her family. But Lena wasn’t like that, she didn’t believe in killing unless absolutely necessary. Even then, she believed there was always a choice._

_So here she sat, waiting impatiently for the villager to show up and try to steal another curse. This one was one that she knew would keep this woman away from her woods forever._

_It was, at its core, cruel. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And this particular_ villager _had become too comfortable in the forest over the years. As a recluse, the idea of this person continuing to venture further and further into her territory pissed Lena right the fuck off._

_The sound of someone basically stumbling through the forest drew Lena’s attention to the edge of the clearing. It was finally time for her to see the person who was insisting on making her life miserable. When a young woman came to a stop in the clearing, obviously looking for the tree, Lena couldn’t stop the predatory smile that pulled at the corner of her lips. This was definitely the woman who had been stealing all of her curses. The evidence was clear, standing out against pale skin in a way that took Lena’s breath away momentarily._

_She sat back and watched as the woman looked desperately around the clearing, obviously trying to find the tree that Lena was currently sitting under. After her third pass, Lena took pity on the woman and slowly got to her feet, her hand moving fluidly through the air conjuring the thick mist that would cover her once she stepped out from her cloaking spell._

_Once the clearing was sufficiently filled with the white haze, Lena stepped forward. “So you’re the one who’s been stealing all of my curses.”_

_The woman didn’t flinch away from her voice as Lena had expected. Instead, she seemed to be fighting a smile, which only fueled the resentment inside Lena. “You ignored all of my warnings and just kept coming back. Have you no respect for a person’s privacy!?” She snapped as she walked closer to the woman, her desire to see her handiwork so brazenly displayed on the villager winning over her usual need to stay safely hidden._

_“Please come out so I can see you.” The woman damn near begged as she licked her lips, her head whipping around the clearing obviously trying to find the source of Lena’s voice._

_Lena scoffed. The audacity of this woman was unheard of. First, she intrudes on her territory, her home, and steals all of her hard work. Now she thinks she can make requests? Not if Lena had anything to say about it._

_“You dare wish to look upon my face!? You are not worthy! Not after the blatant_ disregard _you have shown here! I curse you now, once more, one final time!” Lena couldn’t stop the flash of pride that flared in her gut at that moment as the woman recoiled briefly at the commanding tone Lena had used. But she had recovered quickly, her hand reaching out into the mist even as Lena’s own was starting to draw the rune in the mist in front of her._

_“No! Please! I need these curses!”_

_“You know nothing of needing something,” Lena sneered as she continued crafting the rune. She let all of the anger, hatred_ and _distress at having her home invaded by this woman flow through her as she completed the curse. “You only want, you only take, you only destroy what I have spent so long constructing!”_

_Her hand flew towards the woman, forcing the curse to follow the motion and move rapidly at her. “Take this final curse and live with it for the rest of your days!”_

_“Please don’t say that,” she actually fucking whimpered. “Don’t you know what all of this means to me? Why I keep coming back?”_

_“Silence!” Lena could not believe this woman. She wanted nothing more than for this servant to be gone from her forest and never come back. Was peace seriously too much to ask? “I curse you so that no man will ever love you for as long as you live!”_

_The curse did as it was designed to as it slid through the woman’s torso. She could tell it took effect because the woman shivered in response to the rune making contact with her. Lena smiled, it was finally time to be done with this woman once and for all as she began chanting a teleportation spell under her breath._

_Then the insufferable woman looked up and made eye contact with Lena, though she was sure the other brunette couldn't actually see her. The smile that spread across her face was almost peaceful as she thanked Lena right before she disappeared._

 

 

 

 

That had been a few days ago and Lena couldn’t have been happier. That last curse would surely work to keep that dreadful woman off her land. If there was one thing Lena understood about the villagers that lived just beyond the forest border, it was that they placed a lot of credence in the sanctity of marriage. So she knew that the woman would be devastated when she discovered that no man would fall in love with her and become her husband.

Lena couldn’t stop the smile that crept on her face as she collected some more herbs she needed for the potion she was going to be making later that night. She stopped as she dropped the newest ingredient in the basket and simply listened. Her smile grew when she realized there wasn’t another soul for miles.

“Finally,” she sighed as she moved further into the woods. This is exactly what she had wanted all along. A nice peaceful and mundane existence where she could practice her craft in peace. She hummed a melody to herself as she approached the clearing with the tree.

_Thank you for everything_.

Lena whipped her head around the clearing once she stepped foot into it, the woman’s voice ringing out clearly in the surrounding area. Her green eyes narrowed as she searched the forest for any signs of the woman.

She waited several seconds, her breath held so as to not make a sound. The only movement around her was the wildlife that scurried though the underbrush nearby. Lena rolled her eyes and scolded herself for being ridiculous. There was no way that the woman would be coming back here. The last curse surely would have taken care of that.

Lena smirked to herself as she imagined the hell that woman’s life would be now. “Serves her right for how she walked through my land like she owned it. How ignorant can one person be? I mean really.”

_Don’t you know what all of this means to me?_

This time Lena simply shut her eyes and tried to ignore the sound of the villager’s voice. She sighed. It must be a side effect of the curse, or maybe how she had conjured it. Either way, the voice was just that: a voice. The woman herself wasn’t here and that was all that mattered.

Lena finished grabbing the mushrooms that had been growing underneath the tree and turned to head back to her cottage. She would check her spell book to see if she had accidentally cast the last curse improperly. It wasn’t that she couldn’t learn to live with the voice popping up from time to time, but the whole point of the curses was to ensure she could live in peace. So if she could fix her mistake, she would. But if she couldn’t… well, the woman’s voice wasn’t  _terrible_ to listen to.

Lena started the walk back through the forest, trying to forget the look on the villager’s face when she realized it would be the last curse she would receive. _That_ particular look tugged at her insides in a way that Lena did not want to think about. Not now, not ever.

 

 

 

 

 

_Please don’t say that._

“Oh for the love of…”

Lena cursed as the potion _poofed_ in a very lackluster way, the muddy brown color that flared through the light smoke coming from the cauldron made Lena slap a hand over her eyes. Her hand rubbed at her eyes a few times before it dragged down to her chin as she tipped her head back and let out a loud groan. This particular potion shouldn’t be this hard. The only explanation was the distracting voice that kept popping up at the worst times.

It had been almost two weeks since she had first heard the villager’s voice. She had spent countless hours scouring her spell book, checking to make sure she had cast the last curse right. It had been her first verbal curse after all. It would only make sense that she had messed it up, especially if she kept hearing that woman’s voice.

Turns out she had cast it flawlessly though. Which means that the woman’s voice was simply in her head. On one hand, that was good because it meant that she hadn’t messed the spell up. The other though? Yeah, that meant that she was stuck with the other brunette’s voice in her head, popping up when she needed to concentrate the most.

At first, she didn’t think it would be that much of a problem. Her voice was melodic and made Lena feel things. She actually enjoyed hearing something other than her own voice for a while. But now it was becoming a hindrance.

She picked the small cauldron up and took it outside. She had enchanted a hole in the ground for this exact reason, silently thanking her mom for this piece of advice as she dumped the ruined potion in the hole. She waved her hand over the opening, pleased with herself as the sludge seemed to disappear. The enchantment doing what it was supposed to as it turned the potion into enriched soil.

“Five attempts and not one successful potion. How is that possible?” Lena grumbled to herself as she walked back to her cottage, intent on finally creating the potion without issue.

_Please come out so I can see you_.

_Ah_ , Lena thought as she set the cauldron back over the fire. _There’s the reason I can’t seem to make this work_.

She sighed as she rolled her eyes. Simply ignoring the voice obviously wasn’t working. There had to be a way to end this nonsense she was currently experiencing. Maybe if she took a look into the villager’s life and actually saw how miserable the curse had made her, then maybe she would be able to move on. Maybe seeing that she was lonely and sad would make her feel good enough that she’d be able to move on.

_That’s actually not a bad idea_ , Lena thought to herself as she stopped preparing the potion for another attempt. _It might just work_.

The ingredients were tossed on her table before she finished thinking through the idea. Her hands shook slightly as she pulled her spell book closer and began sifting through the pages. _That_ particular detail was one she would file away for later. There was no reason for her to be nervous right now. The other woman wouldn’t know that she would be spying on her. She would just pull up a visual of what was happening, confirm that the woman was miserable and then go about her life in peace and quiet.

Lena went about setting up the large bowl of water she would need to see what was going on in the village, and then began reciting the spell once everything was set. The colors in the room appeared to dim as she ran through the spell a second and then a third time. As she finished the final recitation of the spell, all of the colors had been pulled from the room and now swirled around the water of the bowl.

Lena held her breath as a picture started to appear. Browns bled into lighter tans as the village’s marketplace started to take shape. She couldn’t help the smirk that began to pull at her lips. Soon enough this fiasco with the villager would be laid to rest and she could move the fuck on.

Giddiness bubbled inside Lena as she waited for the rest of the image to form in front of her. There was something about seeing the villager’s misery that made Lena smile in delight. And as the picture became focused and began moving with the villagers milling about the market, Lena’s smile only grew.

That is until the image settled on the villager.

“The nerve of that woman!” Lena yelled as she gripped the sides of the bowl tightly.

There she was, the peasant who dared to traipse unwelcome through her forest! And she was… “smiling!?” Lena screeched as she pulled the bowl closer to her face. There was no way this woman would be happy with the curse that Lena had forced on her. There was no way she would be walking around apparently without a care in the world, not when Lena was stuck reliving the moment the curse had been cast!

“That is it!” Lena huffed as she tossed the bowl of water aside, effectively cutting off the picture of the village and that vapid woman. “If she insists on being so _happy_ with the curse I placed on her, then I shall go confront her myself!”

Lena stormed out of the cabin and let the door fall shut heavily behind her. She immediately began tracing the pattern for the teleportation spell. Within seconds a wavering purpled spiral opened in front of her and without stopping to consider the consequences, she stepped through.

This particular mode of travel was always disorienting, to say the least. It left the person feeling slightly off-kilter and the world around them a pulsating mess. Lena was always one to recover quickly though and this time was no different as she managed to step through the portal with as much grace as she could muster. She blinked a few times to orient herself to the surrounding marketplace.

Lena quickly scanned the area and finally settled on the other woman. “You!” she called out as she pointed at the villager that had been causing all of her problems of late.

The woman froze when she heard Lena’s voice and seemed to take an involuntary step forward towards Lena. “It’s you,” she breathed as she took another step.

Lena stalked towards the other woman and stopped a few feet in front of her. “How dare you!?” she accused the villager.

The woman smiled at Lena, nothing but reverence shining on her face. “I can’t believe you came,” she whispered as her hand reached out for Lena. A look of confusion and then dread settled in the woman’s eyes as she grabbed onto Lena’s forearm tightly. “You shouldn’t have come here!”

Lena recoiled from the sudden sharpness the villager’s voice had taken on. She had no right to be upset. If anything, Lena was the one who should be angry at the whole situation.

“You don’t tell me what I should and should not have done. Do you know the chaos you caused in my life!?” Lena demanded as she pulled her arm away from the stranger.

“No, seriously. You shouldn’t have come,” the woman tried to explain as she pushed at Lena’s shoulders this time, trying to get her to move.

That was when Lena’s mind caught up to her emotions and realized _exactly_ what she had done in her haste to reprimand this one villager. Her eyes darted around to the other villagers and realized the look of fear and pure _hatred_ that was obvious on most of their faces.

She took a steadying breath and stood just a little bit taller. After all, who were these people to judge her? She hadn’t done a damn thing to them. It was all this woman’s fault that she was even here in the first place. They should be blaming her for Lena’s sudden appearance.

“You don’t belong here!”

Lena turned to glare at the man who had caused the sudden outburst. She tried to take a step towards him to tell him off but was stopped by the other woman’s hands on her arms.

“You need to leave. _Now!_ ” she hissed as she pushed desperately against Lena’s shoulders again.

Lena looked down at the woman and stopped. She was t _errified_. Not of the villagers or her own safety. She was afraid _for Lena_. That information settled deep in Lena’s mind, her heart stuttered for a second, and the rest of the world faded to nothing. All that mattered in that moment was the woman who had stolen all of her curses.

It was that lapse in attentiveness that nearly cost Lena her life.

In her moment of distraction, she had failed to see one of the other villagers draw a bow, notch the arrow and let it fly in her direction. She was so lost in deep brown eyes that she didn’t register what was happening until the woman lurched forward, a frantic “NO!!” tearing from her lips as she threw herself in front of Lena. So lost in the tension of the moment, that all Lena could do in that second was catch the brunette as she slumped forward into Lena’s arms, an arrow protruding from her back.

Lena growled as she adjusted her grip on the woman, pulling her closer to get a better hold, while her right hand flew out and an unspoken spell was launched in the direction of the man who was quickly trying to grab another arrow. Several villagers were knocked over by a conjured gust of wind. The others who had witnessed what happened took off running, their screams echoing in the quickly emptying market.

Without stopping to think about it, Lena shifted the woman in her arms, quickly conjured another teleportation portal and stepped through. The gruff “you stupid girl,” could be heard as the portal closed behind the two women, leaving the market rather deserted and uncharacteristically quiet.


	3. Poorly Placed Chivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has found herself in the clutches of the evil witch, just not in the way she would like. Lena wishes her mother had taught her a healing spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for your continued support of this story. You all are freaking rock stars. Happy New Year! Here's to hoping 2019 is better than whatever 2018 was...
> 
>  
> 
> xxxxxxxxxxx

Lena groaned under the weight of the woman as she shifted her in her arms again. “For someone so small, you sure are heavy,” she huffed as she started moving towards her cabin. She was able to get inside without too much trouble, but then stopped short once inside. _What exactly was she supposed to do now?_

Letting out a sigh, Lena maneuvered the woman so she was laying face down on her bed. She wasn’t happy about having to get this woman’s blood on everything, but she knew that bringing her here was the only choice she had. There was no way she was going to leave this poor, defenseless woman alone and bleeding in the marketplace. Especially with those villagers who were dumber than this woman was.

“How moronic can one be?” she asked aloud to herself as she turned and quickly started making a poultice to place over the wound. Her mother had always said that offensive spells were more important than defensive ones. Which meant that a healing spell was one that Lena hadn’t learned quite yet. After all, she never left the forest, so there was no real need to learn how to heal herself beyond basic first aid.

“So fucking stupid,” she cursed as she quickly tossed some water over the fire to boil. She then turned and grabbed some cloth that she tore quickly into strips. Once the poultice was done and the water was boiling, Lena tossed a large needle into the pot to sterilize the metal before she turned and walked back to the villager currently laying face down on her bed.

She took a steadying breath before she knelt down and pulled out a knife. Once she sterilized the blade over the fire, she grabbed the shaft of the arrow with one hand and then began to cut a horizontal incision close to the arrow.

The woman immediately screamed and tried to fight Lena off, her arms swinging blindly as she tried to sit up. The Witch quickly said a sleeping spell and mentally cursed herself for not thinking of doing that first. She readjusted her grip on the knife and went back to work.

Once there was enough room around the opening of the wound, Lena stuck her finger in the hole and tried not to vomit all over the floor of her cabin as she tried to figure out which way the arrowhead was turned. Once she figured out that the barbs were already facing in the direction of the incision, Lena said a quick thank you to the spirit of the forest, gripped the arrow shaft firmly in her right hand and took a deep breath.

“You owe me for this,” she grunted at the back of the sleeping woman’s head. She steadied herself with her left hand on the woman’s back and then pulled on the arrow. Her hand only slipped once in the blood before she it finally came free with one last tug.

Lena threw the arrow away from them and quickly conjured the needle from the boiling water. She quickly threaded it and started to sew the wound closed as best as she could. Once that was done, she put a large amount of poultice over the area and covered it with some cloth.

She sighed as she finished, finally able to sit back and take stock of the situation. This woman, the bane of her existence over the years, was now laying face down on _her_ bed with an arrow wound in her back. A wound she received by throwing herself in front of Lena. A wound she received by _protecting_ Lena. After everything Lena’s mother had done to the villagers, this woman still jumped in front of an arrow to save her.

“You really are as asinine as I had thought,” Lena said as she stood and began cleaning up the bloody rags and knife that she had used.

 

 

_Alex hummed to herself as she walked into the Smith, the song one her mother had always sung to her and Kara when they were younger. Maxwell Lord had just rescinded his offer of marriage, which meant that her mother was grieving and wouldn’t be bothering her for a while. That meant that Alex was able to go about her life as she wanted for the time being._

_“Why’re you smiling?” James grunted as he brought his hammer down on a piece of metal that he was currently trying to shape into…. something. Alex wasn’t quite sure what he was working on, but that wasn’t anything new. James’ smithing style was his own, and whatever he was making usually didn’t become recognizable until he was done with it._

_“Hmm?” Alex mused as she grabbed her leather apron that was hanging by the door._

_“You,” James called out as he brought down the hammer again. “You’re smiling. You don’t do that. It looks weird,” he commented as he put the heated metal into the large vat of water that sat in the middle of the working area. He moved his goggles up onto the top of his head as the steam billowed around him._

_Alex tried to look offended. “I smile! A lot actually.”_

_James chuckled as he used his tongs to pull the metal out of the water. “No, you don’t actually. So what is it?”_

_“You remember Maxwell Lord?”_

_“You mean ‘Satan Incarnate’? Yeah. He’s kind of hard to forget with how often you complained about him.”_

_“Oh hush,” Alex waved off James’ comment as she grabbed the chest plate she had been working on for one of the young villagers who was about to go serve the King as a foot soldier. “He decided he didn’t want to marry me after all.”_

_“Your mother must be thrilled.”_

_Alex laughed. “You have no idea.”_

_A few moments of silence passed before James spoke up again. “Doesn’t have anything to do with that new curse you got a few days ago, does it?” he asked hesitantly._

_Alex couldn’t help the smirk that spread almost seductively across her lips. “Maybe.”_

_James threw the long piece of iron back into the flames and then turned to stoke the fire a little. “What does this one do?” he asked, genuinely curious now. According to the talk around the market, Maxwell Lord had been pretty keen on Alex, willing to forgo the dowry that usually accompanied a bride just to call her his. That meant that this curse had to be pretty serious._

_“Apparently kills any cattle I touch.”_

_James stopped and turned to look at his friend. “Seriously?”_

_Alex simply shrugged as she grabbed the instruments she would need to finish the piece in front of her._

_“I’d better tell J’onn not to let you into the stables, just in case. You know how much he loves those horses.”_

_“Speaking of, he and Winn her talking about going down to the Inn tonight to have a few drinks. Interested?”_

_James full on laughed. “Don’t think I don’t see right through you, Alex. We both know Maggie is working there tonight.”_

_Alex groaned as she lit her own fire. “Not you too. I just got my mother off my back.”_

_James resumed striking whatever he was working on with his hammer. “I don’t,”_

**Clang!**

_“See an issue.”_

**Clang!**

_“She’s interested, you’re interested.”_

**Clang!**

_“Just ask her to dinner already,” James sighed as he looked over the object laying on his anvil._

_“You know why I can’t do that,” Alex said as she ran her hands over the breastplate, looking for any abnormalities she would have to fix before she carried on with molding it to the right form._

_“The witch,” James sighed.  “Alex, you need to let that go. You know that will never happen, and I think you should give Maggie a chance.”_

_Alex tossed the breastplate into the flames. “Fight me on it all you want, I’m not going to change my mind.”_

 

 

 

Lena turned the page of the spellbook her mother had made for her when she was born. There had to be a healing spell in there somewhere, and after the events of the afternoon, Lena felt it prudent to learn it. She had barely managed to help the villager without throwing up everywhere. If a spell existed that would stop her from having to do _that_ again, she would happily learn it. Even if it took a long time to master. It was worth it, especially since it could very easily be Lena who was seriously hurt next time.

A whimper came from across the room, catching Lena’s attention. She cocked an eyebrow as she looked at the woman who was still sleeping soundly thanks to Lena’s spell. The woman had shifted at some point in the past few hours so her face was now turned towards the firelight and Lena.

Lena couldn’t stop the snort of amusement that echoed through the cottage as the woman’s eyebrows furrowed together. It was something the woman did right before she started mumbling in her sleep. The first time she did it, Lena was concerned that the woman was in pain, that she hadn’t put enough clove oil in the poultice. She was in the middle of checking the mixture when the woman mumbled something that sounded a lot like _fight me_ before she actually growled.

Lena had been so shocked that this woman could be dreaming and talking in her sleep after enduring what she had, that she had simply stood there for several minutes with the poultice in her hands staring at the villager. That had been hours ago, and the woman had taken to mumbling every once in a while.

“Please. You need to leave.”

Lena sat up straighter. That was a new one. Usually the woman only tried to encourage a fight. This sounded like she was distressed.

“No. Leave her alone,” she whimpered as she began to move around on the bed.

Lena was immediately at her side, her hand moving to sweep the woman’s hair back from her forehead without thinking about it. The woman seemed to calm slightly at the touch, fleeting though it was. But she began struggling against the blanket that had twisted up around her waist as soon as Lena’s hand left her head.

“Hush now. Rest,” Lena breathed out right before she cast another sleeping spell over the woman. The villager immediately stilled, her face relaxing in deep slumber once again. Lena sighed as she brought a towel to the woman’s forehead and gently wiped off the sweat that had been forming there. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked the sleeping woman.

 

 

_Alex glared up at the sun as it beat down on her, her hand barely covering her eyes from the brightness. Fall was upon them, but apparently no one told the weather that it was time to start cooling off. She wiped the sweat off her brow as she picked up the handles of the cart she had been pulling behind her and started making her way down to the middle of the market. She and James had had a few days where they didn’t have any commissions, so they had made some swords and household objects that they could sell to the villagers._

_Problem was that James hadn’t been able to accompany her to market today, which meant that she couldn’t use the mule. They still hadn’t figured out if her cattle killing curse extended to all livestock, or if it was specific to cows. And it wasn’t something either wanted to risk trying out on their only mule, so she was stuck pulling the cart herself._

_She finally came to a stop at their usual spot in the market and quickly began setting up the merchandise for sale. It wasn’t long before several people were stopping to admire the work that she and James had managed to complete in a few short days. She smiled brightly as one of the younger men purchased one of her swords._

_“You know you’ve changed since you started taking on the bigger curses.”_

_Alex rolled her eyes as she looked at her sister. “Kara…” she sighed._

_“It’s not a bad thing. It actually looks good on you. The confidence I mean.”_

_“What do you want?” Alex narrowed her eyes at her sister._

_Kara chuckled as she tossed Alex an apple that she had just bought. “Why do I have to need something in order to compliment my older sister?”_

_“Because you never compliment me,” Alex pointed out._

_“Mom wants you to stop by the house later,” Kara said as she pulled herself up into the cart so her feet were hanging over the edge._

_Alex turned away from her sister and looked out at the forest. She brought the apple to her mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly as she squinted at the tree line._

_“Did you hear me?”_

_Alex sighed as she tossed a quick look over her shoulder. “Yeah, Kara. I heard you, I always do. But she never does. You know that.”_

_Kara swung her legs, her shoulders shrugging noncommittally. “I know, but she’s our mother. She only wants what’s best for us.”_

_“Is Mon-el what’s best for you?”_

_“That’s not fair.”_

_“Isn’t it?” Alex turned to face her sister. “If she only wants what's best for us, shouldn’t that include our happiness?”_

_She walked over to the cart and put her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “I know you only want her to be proud of you, to love you, but Kara… I see how you and Mon-el are together. You deserve better.”_

_“What would be better than a man who takes care of me? A fantasy woman that lives in the forest? Alex, you need to move on from that daydream. She’s evil!”_

_“She’s not,” Alex shook her head vehemently._

_Kara opened her mouth to argue, but Alex kept speaking. “I know what everyone thinks of magic users, and I get why. Especially after what happened all those years ago, it only makes sense that they would be afraid. But this one… she’s different.”_

_"How can you be sure?”_

_Alex pointed to one of the curses that_ was _visible. “All those times I went into the forest, and all she did was leave new curses for me to pick up. She could have eliminated me after the first time, but she didn’t.”_

_“She cursed you so that no one will ever love you! Who does that?”_

_“She cursed me so that no_ man _will ever love me. As far as I’m concerned, she did me a favor,” Alex winked at Kara and took another bite of her apple._

_Kara couldn’t help but smile as she ruffled her sister’s hair. “Is she at least attractive?”_

_Alex recoiled from the blonde’s touch and reached up to fix her hair. “I honestly don’t know. I didn’t get to see her.”  Alex took a step closer to her sister as Kara’s face drained of all its color, “Kara?”_

_Alex reached up and touched Kara’s forehead, “what is it? Are you ok?”_

_“If that’s her, then you have amazing taste.”_

_Alex blinked. “What?”_

_Kara simply pointed towards the middle of the market. Alex was turning to look when she heard the one voice she’d been hoping to hear again._

_“You!”_

_It was too much, happening too fast. Alex froze, unable to catch her breath when she finally saw the Witch standing there in broad daylight. Kara was right, she was possibly the most beautiful woman that Alex had ever seen. She took a stumbling step forward, her hand itching to reach out to the woman. “It’s you,” she breathed in awe._

Gods, she’s gorgeous. Just look at her _, Alex thought to herself._ She’s so elegant, and graceful, and… angry. Oh shit, she looks pissed _. Alex gulped as the Witch stormed towards her._

_“How dare you!?” she yelled. Her accent only added to the blush that was currently creeping up Alex’s neck._

_A grin blossomed on Alex’s face as the Witch came to a stop in front of her. Her hand reached out fondly, desperate to touch the woman in front of her. “You came,” she whispered, the shock obvious in her voice._

_The sound of someone screaming behind them snapped Alex back to reality as she remembered exactly where they were standing. She firmly put her hand on the Witch’s forearm. “You shouldn’t have come,” she stated as she tried to pull Lena away from the rest of the villagers._

_The Witch pulled her arm away from Alex and pointed at her, the anger obvious in her green eyes. “You don’t tell me what I should and should not have done. Do you know the chaos you caused in my life!?”_

_This time Alex tried to push at the Witch’s shoulders. She could feel the dread settling cold and insistent in her chest. If Alex didn’t get her out of the village now, there was no telling what the rest of the villagers would do to her. “No, seriously,” Alex pleaded with the woman. “You shouldn’t have come here.”_

_Alex saw the exact moment the other woman realized what was happening around them. Instead of retreating like Alex had expected, she watched as the Witch drew herself to her full height and squared her shoulders._

_“You don’t belong here!”_

_Alex whipped around at that. She knew that voice. It belonged to the fletcher’s son, which could only mean that he was armed. No one in that family ever went anywhere without a bow and full quiver of their arrows. Her eyes snapped to the young man immediately. He was hard to miss, what with his bow already in hand and glaring at the Witch with nothing but hatred dripping from his crystal blue eyes._

_“No! Leave her alone!” Alex held her hand out to the crowd. “Please, she doesn’t mean any harm. She’ll leave, just let her leave. Please.”_

_The Witch tensed under Alex’s hand. Panic was now clawing at Alex’s insides. It was getting harder to breathe as she desperately tried to figure a way out of this without bloodshed. Her attention was drawn back to the Witch when she tried to take a step forward._

_“You need to leave,” she pushed desperately at the woman. “Now!” she hissed as she put her full weight into pushing at the woman’s shoulder._

_Green eyes snapped to brown and everything seemed to slow down. The Witch’s face contorted briefly in confusion and then understanding. She was looking for something else, and Alex found herself forgetting everything for just a moment._

_That moment proved to be too much for the situation._

_Movement off to her left pitched her back into reality as her mind processed the fletcher’s son notching an arrow and aiming at the Witch. Alex barely had time to throw herself in front of the woman’s torso before the man released the bowstring._

_Kara’s scream pierced the tense silence as pain erupted instantly in her back. It was piercing, hot and all-consuming. It was all her mind could focus on as she stumbled forward. She hoped it was enough to save the Witch._

_Mumbling a quick apology to Kara, Alex tried to fight off the shroud of unconsciousness that was rapidly taking over her sight. The last thing she remembered before losing that fight was a disgruntled voice grumbling “you stupid girl.”_

 

 

Alex jerked away from the cold that was suddenly on her head. She grit her teeth against the scream that was trying to rip its way out of her throat as her left hand pulled her right arm close to her chest.

“Stop moving! You’re only making it worse!”

Not knowing where she was, or what was going on, Alex’s instincts focused on her last coherent thought, which was of the villagers trying to kill the Witch and her jumping in front of the arrow. She swung her arm out as someone tried to grab her shoulders.

“It’s going to reopen if you keep this up. Stop fighting me!”

The slight accent cut its way through the pain fueled fog of Alex’s brain. She still scooted as far away from the presence as she could, but she also felt her breathing slow a little.

“What happened?” she croaked.

“You got shot by an arrow.”

“Where…?”

“Where did you get hit?  In your back.  Where are you now?  My cottage. It’s alright. You’re safe.”

Alex blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the lighting in the room. “Are you?”

The Witch’s eyebrows furrowed. “Am I what?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Don’t be daft.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Why did you help me…?”

The unasked question was obvious. “Lena. And I couldn’t just leave you there. Not after you jumped in front of me like that. Who knows what they would have done after that poorly placed act of chivalry.”

“Poorly placed? I’d think you’d at least be grateful. I did save your life after all.”“Saved my life?” the indignation was apparent in the way Lena’s voice went up an octave or two. She crossed her arms over her chest. “You did no such thing,” she huffed.

“The wound in my back says otherwise,” Alex snapped back when she saw how defensive Lena was getting. Was it so hard to just say thank you and move on?  “I’m Alex by the way.”

“Yes, very well. What are you doing!?”

The standoffish attitude Lena had been sporting a few seconds ago disappeared immediately as Alex tried to move into a sitting position. She reached forward and quickly helped the older woman upright, not noticing how close they were until Alex was settled against the pillows against the headboard. Lena cleared her throat and quickly sat back, hoping Alex didn’t see the flush that Lena could feel dusting her cheeks.

Alex sighed once she let herself relax back against the pillows. The aching that had been annoyingly present in her hips and legs turned to pins and needles, which meant she had been laying in that position for a while. She blinked sluggishly a few times, her eyes trying to take in the room they were in. The only thing she was sure of was Lena and the fire in the corner. It was filling the room with a warmth that was quickly seeping deep into Alex’s bones.

“How long,” she mumbled, trying not to be embarrassed by the slurring she could hear.

“About ten hours. Sleep now, you are safe here.”

“ ‘M not sleepy,” Alex muttered even as her eyes closed.

Lena smirked as the villager fell back to sleep. She shook her head in mild amusement, thankful that if she had to be stuck in this situation it was at least with someone as adorable and entertaining as Alex was turning out to be.


	4. I can fix that.... if you'll let me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex continues to heal, Lena stays annoyed, and we take a look at what's happening in the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who keeps leaving kudos and comments! You are seriously what keeps my muse around so I can write more for you. I love hearing what you all think is going to happen next. 
> 
> xxxxxxxxxx

Lena crouched behind a tree, her eyes focused on the rabbit that was a few feet in front of her. She reached her hand out and started whispering the spell that would end the creature’s life quickly and painlessly. She was on the last syllable when a crash echoed loudly through the forest.

Growling, Lena turned on her heel and glared at Alex as the other woman walked into the clearing. She was suddenly regretting calling Alex adorable and entertaining. She was neither. She was a pain in the ass. “Could you be any louder? You walk like a pregnant donkey.”

Alex shrugged her left shoulder, her right arm secured properly in the sling Lena had made for her when she woke up two days ago. “Don’t look at me, you created _that_ particular curse.”

“Yes,” Lena hissed. “I did. But I did not intend for someone to add it to their collection,” she mockingly waved her hand in Alex’s direction.

The older woman cocked an eyebrow, her weight settling back on her heels as a smug look crossed her face. “Bullshit. This was like my tenth one. You knew that someone would definitely pick it up. Admit it,” she pointed at the Witch. “You enjoyed leaving them there for me to find.”

Lena rolled her eyes as she quickly checked to make sure the rabbit had actually run away, then got to her feet and strode past Alex. “Why are you even here?”

Alex didn’t seem deterred, falling in step with Lena almost effortlessly. “I got bored. And I don’t sit still well.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

“Plus, you leave a trail that can be seen from a mile away. It was easy to follow you.”

“I do not!” Lena pulled up short at that comment, the offense rolling off her in waves.

Alex shrugged again, this time sheepishly. “You kind of do.”

Lena huffed as she continued deeper into forest. This time Alex stumbled in her haste to match Lena’s pace. “Look, I’m sorry that I made you lose your rabbit or whatever.”

“That was our dinner. Now we have to eat more of that vegetable broth. And quite frankly, I’m tired of it, seeing as that was the only thing I could get you to eat the last few days.”

“Maybe not.”

Lena slowed her pace and turned to look at Alex, “what do you mean?”

“How do you feel about fish?”

Lena’s head tilted slightly to the side. “I do not own a fishing pole.”

“You don’t?”

“No,” Lena looked down at her feet as her hands settled on her hips. She shifted her weight a little so she was turned a little bit away from Alex. “Mother never thought fishing was something we should learn. Below our station in life, or something.”

Alex saw how uncomfortable this topic had suddenly become for the other woman. She filed it away to bring up again later. “What your mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Alex winked, congratulating herself when a small smile tugged at the corner of Lena’s mouth. “Come on, I’ll teach you how to build a trap.”

 

 

 

“Then you just place this here, and we’re done,” Alex declared proudly as she stood up and looked down at her handiwork. When Lena didn’t comment, she turned towards the woman. “Well?”

“Well what?”

Alex pointed at the fish trap she had set up in an eddy near the river bank. It wasn’t a large one, but for Lena it should be the right size. “What do you think?”

Lena gestured at it half-heartedly. “It looks like you stuck a bunch of sticks and reeds in the river bed. Look,” she pointed at what she assumed was the front of the trap. “It’s not even complete. You left an opening.”

Alex chuckled as she waded to the bank and accepted the hand that Lena offered her. Once she was standing back on dry ground she looked back at the trap. “It’s supposed to be there. The fish need a way to get in. Seriously, how have you survived this long without knowing how to do this?”

“Never needed to know how to do things without magic.”

“Yeah, well I can fix that if you’ll let me.”

Lena simply furrowed her eyebrows and waited for Alex to elaborate. The older woman did after a beat of silence. “I can teach you how to survive out here without magic. As a way to repay you for this,” she gestured vaguely at her right arm.

“You can repay me by healing quicker and being on your way.”

Alex rolled her eyes as she sat down to put her boots back on. “Whatever you say.”

Lena huffed as she turned to face the woman. “I’m serious. You are invading my privacy, which is all I ever wanted. You didn’t get the hint with all the curses, and you’re not getting the hint now. All I want is my solitude, is that too much to ask?”

When Alex didn’t respond with a witty comeback or a rather flirtatious one-liner, Lena paused and actually took in the injured woman. Normally she was larger than life, commanding attention without even uttering a word. Her confidence did all the talking she ever really needed, it was obvious to Lena without having known the woman for long. But now… now was different.

She looked small, defeated and like she was imploding.

Lena fought against the guilt and disgust that churned in her stomach. _That_ was a reaction she would have to unpack later, because it definitely wasn’t one that she had been expecting. There was just something about seeing the other woman looking so small that set Lena on edge in a way that not much else had to date.

Alex finished lacing her boots up and began to stand up. “I’m sorry Lena, I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll just head back to the village. Thank you again for taking care of me.”

Lena was about to protest, apologize, tackle the other woman to the ground — _something…anything_ — that would stop her from leaving. Now that Alex was looking like she was actually going to go through with it, it was _the last thing_ that Lena actually wanted. “Wait,” she started to apologize but stopped when she saw how pale Alex had become.

“I don’t feel so…” Alex trailed off as her eyes rolled dangerously around her head. She stumbled forward a few steps before she started sinking to the ground. Her knees buckled and she was no longer in control of her descent.

Lena threw her hand out and steadied her with a barrier spell, holding her in place long enough for Lena herself to get there and grab ahold. She gently finished lowering Alex and let the older woman settle against her, her back to Lena’s front.

Without stopping to think about it, Lena moved her hand soothingly through Alex’s short hair. “Easy. Just breathe.”

Alex nodded numbly, her mind focused on pulling air into her suddenly burning lungs. After a few deep breaths and focusing on Lena’s grounding touch, the color of the world slowly seeped back into Alex’s vision. She roughly swallowed and blinked her eyes a few times hard to try and clear up her vision.

“What the hell happened?”

Lena scoffed. “You overexerted yourself building me that useless contraption.” Lena’s free hand released Alex’s waist to gesture at the fish trap. It was a few seconds before that hand settled back against Alex’s midsection and pulled her more securely into Lena’s arms.

“Not useless,” Alex protested half-heartedly. “It’s going to help you catch fish.”

“You know I don’t actually need that, don’t you?” Lena asked, her hand still carding through Alex’s hair.

Alex sighed and relaxed further back into Lena. “You’re just being stubborn.”

“Says the girl who nearly fainted from pushing herself too hard a few days after being shot by an arrow.”

“Never said I was smart.”

Lena’s hand moved from Alex’s hair and moved to trace one of the curses on her neck. “Obviously. Taking these on wasn’t the wisest move you could have made.”

Alex shivered under the featherlight touch, her breath catching in her throat. “Don’t say that. They were exactly what I needed.”

“Why?”

The question was so quiet, barely whispered, self-conscious, that Alex would have missed it if she hadn’t been leaning against Lena in such an intimate way. Alex sat up a little and tried to face the Witch. She sighed when she saw that Lena was already looking at the ground.

“Never mind,” Lena mumbled when she felt Alex pull away from her.

“Stop that.”

Lena’s eyes snapped up at the commanding tone in Alex’s voice. It wasn’t one that she had ever directed at Lena, and it startled her. “What?”

“Stop doubting yourself. You asked a question, one that I don’t mind answering. And you’ve already decided that you overstepped some boundary, some invisible line that doesn’t exist.”

Lena grimaced as her hand rubbed at the base of her neck. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it when she realized she had no idea _what_ she wanted to say. She shrugged her shoulders helplessly and waited for Alex to say something else.

The silence stretched through the forest with neither woman speaking. Lena waited a few more seconds before she drug her eyes up to meet Alex’s, not sure she wanted to see what emotion was there.

Alex smiled gently at her. “There you go. See? Nothing to worry about.”

Lena blushed at how tenderly Alex was treating her. Compassion wasn’t one of her mother’s strong suits, so it was throwing Lena off her game with how easily Alex was offering it. She cleared her throat. “So, the curses?”

Alex chuckled at Lena’s attempted deflection. It wasn’t tactful in the slightest, but Alex would take it for now. “My mom thinks I should be someone that I’m not. My whole life she’s been pushing me to be more feminine, more like her and my younger sister. I just never felt like I fit in.”

She paused and ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath and letting it out harshly. “It wasn’t always easy living under that kind of pressure, to be better, prettier, quieter, more obedient. I wasn’t that, but my mother never listened. And then I found the first curse. I traced it without actually stopping to think about it.”

She smiled as she looked into Lena’s eyes. “When it marked my skin, I felt like a door had opened. It felt like the person I was supposed to be was just beyond it, and I was suddenly going to find out _who_ she was. Taking those curses felt like coming home in a way.”

Lena tried to swallow the lump of emotion that had gotten stuck in her throat. She blinked away the tears that were burning in her eyes. Of all the reasons she was expecting, none came close to that. She never would have guessed.

“So thank you. For whatever reason, you kept putting them there so I could take them. They gave me the confidence I needed to actually be me.”

Alex reached out and gently wiped at a tear that was making its way down Lena’s cheek. “I can never repay you for that.”

“I was practicing,” Lena chuckled. “That’s why I kept putting them there. It was just practice.”

“Well you nailed it.”

Alex slowly got to her feet and extended her hand to Lena. “Now come on. I need to show you how to make a fishing pole.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Lena protested. “You are going back to the cottage and you’re going to rest.”

“Come on! I’m fine.”

Lena’s hands went to her hips and she cocked an eyebrow at the stubborn woman. “You almost passed out just now. We can save the fishing pole for another time.”

“But, we didn’t catch any fish for dinner,” Alex tried to argue, her thumb pointing over her shoulder at the river.

Lena rolled her eyes and waved her hand at the water. A small wave came up on shore, coming just up to Alex’s boots. The slightly taller woman gaped at the several fish that were now flopping on the ground in front of her.

“You’ve been able to do that this whole time!?”

Lena shrugged as she bent down and killed them quickly. She tossed them into a bag that she had brought with her. “You never asked,” she smirked as she tossed the bag over her shoulder.

Alex mock glared at the Witch. “Magic users,” she shook her head before falling in step next to Lena.

 

 

Kara was panicking. Which in and of itself wasn’t anything horrendously new. She had never been as graceful or confident as Alex. And she definitely didn’t command an entire room with just her presence like Alex could. Nope, those were all Alex’s strengths. Kara? Yeah, her strengths were obedience, being quiet and reserved, unnoticed. Her place was as a face in the crowd. A follower, never a leader. Alex had always filled that role.

But Alex wasn’t here. Which was the whole problem. The last time Kara had seen her sister, she had been shot by an arrow by the stupid fletcher’s son. She had watched in horror as Alex had collapsed into the Witch’s arms and then had disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

It was one of those moments that slowed down so much that time seemed to stop. It stalled just long enough to burn the image of her sister unconscious with an arrow sticking out of her back into her mind. Then it sped up and Alex was gone. It was the only thing that Kara had been able to see when she closed her eyes.

Of course she was concerned about Alex. Of course she wanted to find her. The mere thought of Alex laying injured and alone made her blood run cold in fear. So of course she wanted to go searching for her, but what was happening right now was stupid and arrogant. It was a half-developed idea that would get everyone killed. This wasn’t how they should go about it.

She looked around at all of the young men of the village collecting every weapon they could find. She watched as James, Winn and J’onn were strapping swords to their sides and bows over their backs. She watched as Mon-el finished saddling his horse and swung up effortlessly on top of the beast.

She couldn’t take it anymore as she stepped up next to her husband’s leg. “Please Mon-el, rethink this.”

He glared down at her. “She has your sister. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Of course it does! But Alex said she wouldn’t hurt her, and I believe her.”

“You’re going to go off of what your sister _believes_ about her little _girlfriend_?”

Kara couldn’t stop the flinch at the loathing that dripped off his tongue at the word girlfriend. “Please, Mon-el. We don’t know what she’s capable of. Or if she’d even hurt Alex.”

“Oh we know,” Mon-el scoffed. “Or do you forget what that other Witch did to this village? It took us years to rebuild after she had her fun with us.”

Kara had been an infant when the Witch had attacked the village. She had heard the stories though, and the evidence of the fires were still present on some of the buildings. Kara shook her head in defiance. “No, this one is different. She could have killed us all when William shot that arrow at her, but she didn’t. She left.”

“Yes. With your sister, a fact you seem to keep forgetting.”

Kara opened her mouth to protest further, but Mon-el held up his hand. “We are going to kill that Witch and bring your sister back. That is final.”

With that, he turned and started off into the forest. His head was held high and Kara could almost feel his arrogance washing off of him in waves. She lowered her gaze and shook her head solemnly.

“We’ll be fine Kara, you’ll see.”

She looked up at Winn, James and J’onn who had come to a stop in front of her. “I don’t think so Winn. Not this time. This doesn’t feel right, and I’m scared for you.”

James winked at her. “Look at how many men are going with us. We’ll have Alex back before dinner. I promise.”

“You don’t even know where to start looking! Alex had been going into the forest for years and she couldn’t find the Witch! What makes you think you can?”

“We have the village’s best hunters and trackers going with us,” J’onn shrugged. “They can find anything in those woods. We’ll find her.”

“That’s what scares me the most,” Kara grumbled as the men walked confidently into the forest. She watched until the last one disappeared, praying to whatever god would listen that they would all come home safely.

 

 

“Shit that stings,” Alex hissed as Lena applied more of the poultice on her wound.

“Stop being a child,” Lena chastised her as she placed a clean piece of cloth over the herbs. “You opened it when you were out there exerting yourself unnecessarily.”

Alex gaped at the Witch over her shoulder. “Are you serious right now? I was doing it for you!”

Lena simply pointed at the two fish that were currently roasting on a spit over the fire. She cocked an eyebrow at Alex and stuck her tongue out slightly to wet her bottom lip. “Does it look like I needed your help?”

Alex forced her eyes to look anywhere but at Lena’s tongue as it darted out to lick her lips. Her brain however, that was harder to distract when she was sitting this close to the other woman. “Umm…I’m… I’m sorry. What?”

Lena’s eyebrows pinched together as worry clouded her green eyes. “Are you okay? You didn’t hit your head earlier did you?”

“What? No,” Alex scoffed as she turned her attention back to the wall in front of her. She must have moved her upper body a little too much because she got a reprimanding flick of a finger on her upper arm. “Ow!” she protested. “That hurt!”

“It did not. Stop complaining. There, that should do it,” Lena stated as she finished securing the bandage in place. Her hands were gentle as she helped Alex pull her shirt back up over her shoulder. Alex quietly thanked her as she then maneuvered the sling into place.

“You’re welcome,” Lena whispered as Alex turned to face her.

She sat there, staring at the villager who had quite literally fallen into her life. There was something about this woman that had captured Lena’s attention and wouldn’t let go. Even after her mother had taught her from a young age that the villagers were evil and weren’t to be trusted, Lena found herself doing exactly that. She trusted Alex implicitly. She felt safe with Alex.

That scared her.

And excited her.

She shivered as Alex leaned closer. _When did Alex’s eyes get so dark?_ she wondered to herself as Alex bit her own bottom lip. Lena felt her body shifting closer to the other woman on instinct. It was a pull that she couldn’t ignore anymore, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to either.

“Lena,” Alex whispered earnestly that Lena felt her breath leave her in a rapid exhale. She wanted Alex to lean further in, to engulf her and consume her. Instead, Alex waited with nothing but patience on her strong features.

“Lena,” she licked her lips. “Please.”

Lena’s eyes shut involuntarily at the tremor that had tumbled from Alex’s lips with that plea. She took a steadying breath and leaned in closer until her forehead was touching Alex’s. Both women breathed a sigh of relief at the contact, but neither moved beyond that.

Lena shivered again as Alex’s left hand rested gently on Lena’s elbow, her fingers not staying idle long as they gently began tracing up to her shoulder. Then to her neck. Ghosting over her cheek, to finally tuck some hair behind Lena’s ear.

The tension in the room was bearing down on Lena. She didn’t know when it had gotten so thick, nor did she care. She only knew that it felt like it was pushing her towards something. Like she had been teetering on the edge of something amazing for a while, and now the tension between the two of them was trying to push her over the edge. If she would just take the leap and close the last few inches between them.

Lena’s head tilted up slightly.

Alex’s nose nudged her own.

Both women held their breath.

A cold prickling sensation shot down Lena’s spine. She pulled away from Alex, putting space between them as her eyes snapped towards the door.

Alex watched her, dumbfounded as Lena’s eyes narrowed as if she was concentrating on something. “Lena?” she asked after a few seconds.

“Someone’s here.”


	5. Unwanted Guests and Unspoken Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Alex talk. Sort of. They devise a plan on how to handle their unwanted visitors. Sort of. And Mon-el, well he keeps being an asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe the kudos and comments I have gotten for this story. You all are the most amazing people on the planet, and I love each and every one of you. 
> 
> Things are going to get a little angsty for a while, so fair warning. Also, if you are in any way a Mon-el fan, it's time to turn back now. Shit's about to get real with his character and it won't be pretty. 
> 
> xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex paced the small living area of the cottage, her face tight in concentration.She reached the far wall, pivoted on her foot and turned back around to start what had to have been her twentieth pass of the room.She brought her thumb up and chewed distractedly on the nail as she moved. 

 

Lena sighed as Alex started mumbling to herself.“Can you slow down?Take a breath?Something?”

 

Alex didn’t stop to look in Lena’s direction but shook her head a few times.The mumbling turned into full-on talking to herself.Her left hand even came up and started drawing invisible patterns in the air as if she was trying to organize something.

 

Lena rolled her eyes and settled back into the chair she was sitting on.It was obvious that Alex needed time to figure out whatever was going through her mind.And if this current display was anything to go by, she wouldn’t be reasoned with until she figured it out.No matter what.Lena straightened in her seat when Alex suddenly stilled in the middle of the room.Apparently, she had found the answer she needed.

 

“I need to go.”

 

Lena’s heart dropped into her stomach and then seemed to keep going down to her feet.She could feel a cold numbness slowly permeate her body.Her fingers were suddenly freezing, and she was having a hard time moving air through her lungs.Alex wanting to leave wasn’t even a possibility.Not so soon after that group of villagers had moved past the cottage.

 

“No!You can’t!They’re still out there looking _for you,”_ Lena immediately hated how desperate her voice had become.She wasn’t supposed to get attached to anyone.And yet, here she was basically begging Alex to stay here… with her.

 

“They’re looking for both of us.You saw their weapons, Lena.  They weren’t going to ask nicely.I need to put a stop to this before anyone gets hurt.”The _before you get hurt_ was left unsaid even though it was what Alex’s mind was screaming. 

 

Lena shot to her feet and stepped in front of Alex when she started pacing again.Her hands came up in a placating gesture when Alex recoiled from her. _Am I that disgusting to her now?_ Lena’s could feel her heart start to pull apart as that truth became obvious when Alex went even further and turned away from her. 

 

“Hey, can you stop and listen for one second? _Please?”_

 

Alex’s shoulders dropped at the slight break in Lena’s voice.She barely turned her head over her shoulder to look at the Witch out of her periphery.It was her way of showing Lena she was paying attention without looking the other woman in the eye.If she actually looked at Lena right now, she knew that she would give her whatever she asked for. 

 

“Thank you,” Lena knew that Alex tried to hide the flinch that ran through her body at the clinical tone she had taken on.But if Alex wanted to run after their almost… _whatever_ it was, then she wasn’t going to stop her.She was, however, going to stop the impulsive woman from going out there and confronting what looked like the entire male population of her village.Especially when they were so heavily armed. 

 

“The cloaking spell worked.They walked right past us.We’re safe, I promise.”

 

“For how long though Lena?”Alex waited for an answer but wasn’t surprised when she didn’t get one.“Mon-el was leading the group.He won’t stop until he gets to you.It’s not even about finding me at this point.Not for him anyway.”

 

“I can put up more spells in the morning.Distraction spells.Spells that are designed to lead them in circles.Defensive spells that will send a message that they’re not welcome here.I can—“ 

 

“No!” 

 

Lena stumbled back in shock at how quickly Alex had turned to face her.Her brown eyes were burning with so many emotions that Lena couldn’t keep track of them, let alone try to decipher them. 

 

Alex threw her hands up.“That’ll just make them even more determined to find you!I can’t let that happen!Not to you!”

 

Lena backpedaled away from Alex as she started to pace angrily around the room again.She couldn’t stop the choked noise that fought its way through the lump in her throat. 

 

Alex froze mid-step.She slowly turned to look at Lena, the noise she just made had shattered Alex’s righteous anger.Lena had backed herself against a wall, her arms were up and crossed over her midsection, her shoulders slumped forward, and she was shaking slightly.“Fuck,” Alex whispered as she took a step towards the frightened woman. 

 

“Lena?” She tried to catch her attention gently, her hand up and reaching out to her.“Lena, can you look at me please?”

 

When the Witch didn’t respond, Alex took another step closer and leaned down slightly.She tried to catch green eyes that were darting around the room.“I wasn’t mad at you, ok?I shouldn’t have yelled.I’m sorry.”

 

Lena’s eyes finally settled on Alex, the tenderness in her voice enough to pull Lena out of her own head.“ ’S fine,” she mumbled even as she pulled her arms tighter around herself. 

 

“No, it’s not,” Alex sighed as she took a step closer and came to a stop in front of Lena.“I shouldn’t have taken my frustration at the situation out on you.”

 

It was Lena’s turn to sigh as she shook her head.“You didn’t.”

 

“No, but I scared you.And I never meant to do that.”

 

“You don’t want my help. It’s ok, I get it.”

 

“What?No, that’s not…”Alex stopped and took a deep breath.She then shook her head a few times.Her hands slowly came up to rest on Lena’s shoulders, and she released a short breath of relief when the other woman didn’t move.“Listen to me, ok?It’s not that I don’t want your help.It’s just that I know how they would react to that _particular_ type of help.”

 

Lena’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at Alex.“What do you mean?”

 

Alex smiled at the life that was slowly seeping back into the other woman’s eyes.“My village has a,” she paused to think of the right word, “certain history with magic users.Let’s just say that they’re afraid of what they don’t understand.”

 

“And you think they’d try even harder to find me?”

 

“Yes, and hurt you.But if I go back, I can make sure that doesn’t happen.”

 

Lena’s arms dropped to her side as her eyes narrowed and studied Alex’s face.“And you don’t think they’d hurt you if you go back?”

 

Alex didn’t even hesitate.“No.I’ll be able to talk them out of trying to find you.I mean they were just out here looking for me.”

 

“Yes, with swords, bows, and torches.”

 

“And once I’m back,” Alex continued over Lena’s objection, “they’ll stop looking for you.You’ll have that peace and quiet you’ve always wanted.”

 

Lena shook off Alex’s hands and moved away from the wall she was practically leaning on.“That’s not even what this is about!”

 

Alex blinked as Lena’s hands settled on her hips and she leveled _a look_ at Alex.“Then what is this about?” she asked, her mind still trying to catch up with how quickly Lena’s attitude had changed.

 

“You’re being insufferable.”

 

“What…?”

 

“The cloaking spell worked.There is no need for you to put yourself in danger just to prove a point.If they are how you say they are, then they’ll just use you to get to me.”

 

“Lena, I think I know them a little better than you do.I can explain it to them.Get them to leave you alone.”

 

“Fine, if you want to leave so badly, then go.”

 

Alex balked at that.She tried to ignore how fast her heart was beating.Something about this moment seemed so important, Alex just couldn’t put her finger on it.The tension between them was back and it was expanding.“Lena, it’s not that I _want to_.I _have to.”_

 

_“_ I won’t stop you then.”

 

“Lena!Wait!”Alex tried to reach for the woman but found she was too slow as purple smoke surrounded her.One moment Alex was trying to explain how terrified she was of losing Lena and the next she was gone.

 

“Well fuck.”

 

 

 

 

 

Lena rubbed at the back of her neck as she walked back to her cottage.She had spent a good part of the night far away from this area of the forest.She knew that wandering around when the villagers were still out was a terrible idea.So when she teleported, she made sure it was far enough away that they wouldn’t find her. 

 

She rolled her shoulders a few times until one of them popped.Using a binding spell to secure herself to a tree so she could get a few hours of sleep probably wasn’t the smartest move she had ever made, but there was no way she was going to spend the night in the same room as that ridiculous villager. 

 

She paused and whispered a detection spell, her hand coming up to rest on a tree.She then started walking to her right.The idea was to push the perimeter alarm further away from her cottage so she would be notified sooner than she had been last night if someone was nearby.She continued on her way, touching several trees as she made a large circle and finally ended up at the tree she started at. 

 

Lena looked up at the sun as it peaked through several of the larger trees.She had been trying to avoid the cottage for as long as possible.She knew she had to apologize to Alex for how she acted last night.She was out of line snapping at her like that and then just leaving. She just hadn’t been able to deal with all of the feelings that were coursing through her in such a short time.

 

She sighed, knowing she had wasted as much time as she could. Alex would be waking up soon, and if Lena was going to talk her out of leaving, she had to head back now.Her feet had already started heading in that direction.

 

_What am I even supposed to say to her?_ Lena wondered.“Hey, sorry about last night.I was acting like a child?” 

 

“Hey, I don’t want you to go because I’m afraid for you?” 

 

“Please don’t leave me like everyone does?” 

 

“I really wish we had kissed…”

 

With that last one, Lena pulled up short.She blinked a few times as she racked her brain for where _that_ had come from.She inhaled sharply as she realized that was exactly why she was so upset the night before. 

 

She had wanted to kiss Alex.Desperately so. 

 

But then Alex had been adamant about returning to the village not even ten minutes later.That had to mean something, right? _Yeah, that she doesn’t want you.She’d rather run back to the village than stay with you._

 

Lena squeezed her eyes shut.“No,” she whispered as what sounded suspiciously like her mother’s voice continued to echo in her mind. 

 

_You saw the look on her face last night when she pulled away from you.She can’t stand to be in the same room as you.Admit it, you’re disgusting._

 

Lena shook her head and started walking faster towards the cottage.“No, that’s not true.She was leaning in, she wanted it just as much as I did.”

 

_Did she?I bet you she’s already gone.Probably didn’t even hesitate to leave once you ran._

 

She was practically running towards the cottage now.She had to get there before Alex left.She couldn’t let Alex go without telling her how much their history had meant to her.That she had felt wanted every time Alex had taken one of her curses.That no matter what her mother had done or was doing to her, she had someone out there who cared enough to keep coming back.Alex deserved to know that Lena had been elated to finally find the person who had faithfully returned to that tree and taken her craft on themselves.She had to tell her that it being _Alex_ had made it so much better.

 

She needed to grab a hold of Alex and never let her go.Not until she understood how deeply she had rooted herself in Lena’s heart.She had been such an idiot over these past few days.All those wasted opportunities to figure out what the hell she had been feeling towards the other woman.“So stupid,” she growled as she pushed herself harder, not caring that she was making all the noise in the world.The only thing that mattered at _that_ moment was Alex.

 

She nearly cried when she saw the cottage come into view.She had made it.Now all she had to do was get Alex to see reason, and they could figure this out together.

 

“Alex, I’m sorry,” she practically yelled once she barreled through the door. 

 

Her already rapidly beating heart stuttered for a beat or two then started pounding.“No,” she whimpered.There was no way she was too late. 

 

“Alex!”

 

Her eyes frantically searched the room several times, but there was no real place for the woman to be hiding. 

 

“Alex!” she yelled as she ran back out the door and into the forest.She couldn't care less if the villagers were still out there looking for her.Alex wasn’t in the cottage.

 

Alex was gone.

 

She had left without waiting to see if Lena would come back.She left without saying goodbye.She left without Lena.

 

The world tilted sideways as Lena stumbled towards a tree, her legs giving out underneath her.She managed to catch herself and slide slowly, painfully down the bark until she was sitting in a heap underneath its branches. 

 

“Alex,” a sob tore its way from her throat.There was no way to stop the anguish that was ripping her apart from the inside.Her heart was hammering away, its desperation evident with every harsh, powerful beat.Then it stuttered again before slowing down, its fight against the reality of the situation fading. 

 

And just like that, it broke. 

 

It wasn’t with a brilliant flash or shattering of pieces.It just… gave up.Imploded on itself and whimpered its last beat into the universe before stilling completely and leaving her feeling empty, violated, abandoned. 

 

She had completely misread everything that had happened between the two of them.That much was obvious.Alex had left, under the cover of night while Lena was away.She had left the safety of the cottage, of _Lena’s home_ without any real way of finding her way back. 

 

She had left.That spoke volumes about what Alex truly felt about Lena. 

 

“So stupid Lena,” she hissed to herself even as the tears were streaming down her cheeks.“You knew better than to get attached.But you did it anyway.How does it feel?”

 

She let her head fall back against the tree and listlessly stared out into the forest.It no longer mattered if the villagers found her.Nothing really mattered anymore.

 

 

 

 

Alex groaned as she continued through the forest, the sun beating hot on the back of her neck even through the trees.She had tried to wait as long as possible for Lena to return, but somewhere deep inside, she knew that Lena was avoiding her.Granted, she hadn’t handled the previous night very well.But then again, neither had Lena.

 

She only wanted to protect the Witch from the ignorant villagers.The ones who looked down on her and spoke to her with disgust in their voices because of who she was.She was… different.She dressed differently, acted differently, loved differently.That was something she inherently understood, that she wasn’t well liked or respected in the village no matter how much she tried.

 

Most of them hated her for simply existing.Which wasn’t something that Lena understood.How could she when she had spent her entire life in the forest and away from how vicious people could be?

 

That was what Alex was trying to protect her from.Because they couldn’t understand the magic Lena used, they would think she was dangerous and would try to kill her.All magic users were evil.In their minds, it was that simple. 

 

She understood why they felt that way.At least part of her did.She had been just old enough to remember when the other Witch had come to their village.She remembered the fear and destruction and _death_ that surrounded everything that woman had touched.She remembers how utterly terrified she was that day.

 

So she got it, on some level.

 

But Lena was different.Lena was good.She had every opportunity to wreak havoc on the village, but she didn’t.She only wanted to live her life in peace, was that so hard to understand?She had even helped Alex when she had been shot by that arrow.That had to stand for something. 

 

Right?

 

Alex smiled slightly when she thought about how adorable Lena had been about the whole thing.She was awkward and obviously didn’t have a lot of practice in social situations, but she was amazing.She was everything that Alex had hoped she would be and more.

 

This time she sighed when she saw the trees were starting to thin out.The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could go back to Lena and they could talk about what had almost happened the night before.She had been so excited when Lena had leaned in.Everything was finally falling into place like Alex had been dreaming about for so long. They were so close to kissing, and Alex had fallen a little more in love with the woman at how shy she had seemed.

 

Then fucking Mon-el and his band of misfits had ruined everything.Oh, how she hated that man.Even more so now that he was married to her sister. 

 

“Shit!Kara!”

 

Alex stopped and covered her eyes with her hand.How could she have forgotten about her sister?And her mother?They were probably worried sick about her.Especially since Kara had been at the market when Alex had been hurt.She should have tried to contact them in some way to let them know she was ok. 

 

That was probably how Mon-el had explained the need for their hunt in the woods.Even if the villagers didn’t like Alex, they loved Kara and would do anything for her.The fact that her sister had been the one to be taken probably only made it _that_ much easier for them to assemble to party. 

 

“You are an idiot,” she chastised herself as she started moving towards the tree line again.She had to make this right.Especially since all of this was starting to look like it was her fault. 

 

Once out of the forest, Alex moved quickly through the streets.She ignored the stares and whispered words that the women were passing back and forth as she passed.She was used to them by now.It didn’t escape her notice that all of the men seemed to be missing from the village, which meant they had gotten an early start or hadn’t returned yet. 

 

Alex sighed and said a silent prayer that Lena was still safe.She wished she could have waited to at least make sure the other woman was ok.But the sooner she could get the villagers to give up this insane crusade, the better.

 

She reached her mother’s door in what felt like record time.She took a second to steady her nerves and then pushed the door open.The warmth that was inside the main room was familiar, as was the smell of something cooking over the fire.Alex smiled slightly to herself as the memories of back when her father was still alive flashed through her mind.Of a time when they actually acted like a family and not some disjointed group of acquaintances that share blood.A time where she could actually say she was happy. 

 

It was a time she often felt herself wishing for again.A time when she could come into her family’s house and not get accosted for how she chose to live her life.What had once been a welcoming place now brought Alex nothing by anxiety and stress. 

 

“Alex!”

 

She couldn’t stop the small flinch that ran down her spine, or the way her muscles tensed in preparation for the verbal onslaught she was about to endure.“I’m sorry mom,” she started in an attempt to stop whatever her mother was about to say.“I know I should’ve sent word somehow.”

 

Alex had expected a few things when she walked in the door.Her mother pulling her into a bone crushing hug was pretty low on the list.Once the shock wore off, Alex brought her left arm up and around her mother’s shoulders.“Mom?” she asked quietly when she felt her mother shaking.

 

She pulled back a little and pushed gently at her mother’s shoulders so she could see her face.“Mom?”

 

Eliza finally pulled back and looked at her daughter, her tears falling freely down her face.“I thought you were dead.Kara came back from market devastated and told me what happened.I thought I had lost you.”

 

Alex felt her face fall and then twist in guilt. “I’m sorry.I should have tried harder to get you a message that I was ok.”

 

Eliza pushed her daughter back to arm’s distance to get a good look at her.“What happened?”

 

Alex’s eyes darted around the room quickly.“Is Kara here?It’s kind of a long story and we’re kind of pressed for time.I’d like to only explain it once if that’s possible.”

 

Before Eliza could respond, a squeal broke out from behind Alex and she was once again nearly bowled over in a hug. 

 

“Alex!I knew it!I told them she wouldn’t hurt you!”

 

Alex chuckled at how exuberant Kara always was.“I’m good Kara.” 

 

She grunted as she tried to turn in her sister’s arms.“But I do have something to tell you and mom, so if you could loosen up a bit.”

 

“No,” Kara mumbled as she buried her head against her sister’s neck.“I’m so happy you’re safe.I was so scared Alex.”

 

Alex tilted her head so it was leaning against the top of Kara’s.“I know, and I’m so sorry I scared you.Both of you.I didn’t mean to.”

 

Kara tightened her hold.“Don’t do it again.”

 

Alex’s hand came up to rest on her sister’s arms.“I won’t.I promise.”

 

“Good,” Kara nodded as she pulled away from Alex. 

 

Eliza took Alex’s hand and pulled her over to the table.“You have some explaining to do.”

 

Alex took a deep breath as all three of them settled in the chairs.This was going to be a hard sell to them, specifically her mother.She had lost so many friends and family members on that day so many years ago, which meant that she was one of the ones who believed that all magic users needed to be brought to justice. 

 

“I guess I should start with what happened at the market.”

 

“That would be a good place to start.What possessed you to protect that _Witch_ like that?”

 

Alex bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from snapping at the revulsion that dripped from her mother’s tongue.Instead, she took another breath and pointed at her curses.“That Witch was the one who put the curses up in the forest.”

 

“You saved the one who has been cursing you!?”

 

“Yes, mom.And she didn’t curse me intentionally. I was the one who kept taking them on.She had nothing to do with those decisions, and she had nothing to do with what happened in the market.”

 

Eliza narrowed her eyes.“Did she put a spell on you so you could come back here and lie for her?”

 

“Mom!” Alex snapped as she pinched the bridge of her nose.“Can you just listen for a minute, please?”

 

Eliza huffed and leaned back in the chair, her arms coming up to cross over her chest.When Alex didn’t continue, she moved her hand in a small circle as if to say: _well?Go on then._

 

Alex nodded and then diverted her eyes.If she had to see how much her mother actually hated Lena, or how terrified Kara still seemed, she wouldn’t be able to get this out. 

 

“When she showed up at the market, yes she was angry.But she wasn’t here to attack anyone or burn the village down.She was just mad at me for disrupting her peace and quiet is all.She didn’t even notice that she had appeared in the middle of the market, so I know she wasn’t here for anyone else.”

 

“You can’t possibly have known that, Alex.”

 

Alex shrugged her good shoulder at her mother.“Maybe not right away, but I saw the fear in her eyes when she realized that William was pointing a bow at her.”

 

“She wasn’t scared Alex, she was getting ready to fight.”

 

Alex shook her head at her sister.“Not fight. Defend herself.There’s a difference.Everyone there started yelling at her and threatening her, she got scared and was simply reacting to them.And then William was pointing that bow at her and I just reacted.”

 

“But why?” the anguish that was lacing her mother’s voice felt like a punch to Alex’s stomach.

 

She sighed and looked up at her mother finally.“I know you don’t trust magic users mom, I get it.But Lena…. she’s different.She’s not evil.She just wants to be left alone.”

 

“Lena?You’re calling her by her name now?She definitely did something to you out there.It’s a good thing the men are looking for her.”

 

“She saved me, mom!” 

 

“She’s the reason you got shot in the first place!”

 

Alex stood up so quickly that her chair tipped over backward.“You always do this!”

 

“Do what?”

 

Alex struggled to get her breathing back under control, being angry right now wasn’t going to help anything.She took a deep breath in and then released it, counted to five and did it again.She then forced her shoulders to relax.

“You never listen.I’m trying to tell you that she’s not like the other one.She’s different.”Alex started pacing around the room, her hand emphasizing her points.“She didn’t have to take me back to her place, but she did.She didn’t have to take the arrow out or bandage the wound, but she did.And she definitely didn’t have to take care of me until I was strong enough to come back, but she did.”

 

She stilled and turned to look at her mother and sister, her eyes begging them to believe her.“All she wants is to be left alone.To live in peace, with no interruptions.But your husband,” she pointed at Kara, “is out there leading a hunting party determined to bring back her head.”

 

“I tried to talk some sense into him,” Kara tried to defend herself. 

 

“I know.But now we need to talk some sense into all of them.She won’t hurt anyone, I promise.There’s no need for them to keep looking for her,” Alex pleaded with them. 

 

“I have a better idea.”

 

All three women jumped and whipped around to face the door.They had been so engaged with what was happening that they didn’t hear Mon-el walk through the door.Alex glared at him as he cockily walked further into the room.

 

“What did you have in mind?” Eliza asked, intrigued.

 

“Well, it seems that Alex has been to the Witch’s lair.She can lead us back there so we can finish this before anything else happens.”

 

“What!?No!”Alex protested.“I won’t do it!”

 

“Alex, she kidnapped you and did gods know what to you out there.She held you against your will and had your mother and sister so, so worried about you.She’s not a good person and we need to stop her.”

 

“No,” Alex shook her head adamantly.“She’s not like that, Mon-el.”

 

“ _All_ witches are like that Alex.”

 

“Not her.She won’t come here again, I swear it.”

 

A sickening smile crept across Mon-el’s face.“Oh, I know she won’t.We’ll make sure of it, and you’re going to help us finish her off.”

 

“I won’t,” Alex asserted, her eyes flashing with hatred, anger, and defiance.

 

“Oh, I think you will.”He had stalked up to Alex, like a hunter approaching his prey, that disgusting smile only growing wider with each step he took.He reached forward, grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear.“Because if you don’t, I will personally slit your mother’s throat.And then once I’m done with her, I’ll kill your sister too.”

 

 

 


	6. Into the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex does her best to protect the ones she cares about. Lena gets a little sentimental. And Mon-el keeps being a dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't even begin to describe how amazing you all are. Seriously, thank you for even stopping in and looking at this, it honestly means the world.
> 
> There is a possible TRIGGER WARNING for this chapter. There are some scenes of abuse and a little bit of torture. It comes after the second break, so skip it if you need to. And then feel free to hit me up either here or on my tumblr (also Literarturelocker) and I'll fill you in on what you missed. 
> 
>  
> 
> xxxxxxxxx

Alex stumbled forward, her bound hands trying to catch a passing tree in an attempt to steady herself.She bit her tongue to stop the groan of pain from passing her lips.Mon-el knew exactly what he was doing when he had pushed on her injured shoulder.Alex refused to give him the satisfaction though.It was a power play that Alex refused to acknowledge. 

  


Instead she regained her footing and kept moving forward.At least he had bound her hands in front of her to take pressure off her back and shoulder.That helped a little and could possibly give her an advantage.If she managed to find the right time to attack. Right now wasn’t it.Too many of the men had followed them into the forest, none of them protesting when Mon-el had bound Alex’s hands as soon as they were out of the village. 

  


_“To stop your family from worrying.”_ He had answered when she asked him why he had waited that long to do it. 

  


Alex scoffed as he prodded her in the back again.“Move faster, would you?” he demanded.

  


Alex stood up a little straighter and rolled her shoulders.She turned to shoot him a glare out of the corner of her eye.“I’m going as fast as I can.It’s not like she put signs up to point us in the right direction.Plus all these trees look the same.”

  


“Don’t play games with me,” he growled, stepping right up in her personal space.“I know you know these woods better than any of us.”

  


Alex returned his gaze with a steady one of her own.Slowly, calmly, she raised a single eyebrow and deliberately blinked.His angry posturing was another power move.One Alex had seen so many times before from men just like him.Pushing her tongue into her cheek, she waited a few seconds before slowly tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrowing as she did so.

  


His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared.Alex wasn’t sure if pissing him off was the right move, especially when she was outnumbered.  But she just couldn’t help herself.Mon-el had managed to convince Winn, J’onn and James to stay in the village to keep them from interfering. Regardless of all of that, she wasn’t particularly fond of someone threatening the people she cared about.She didn’t even flinch when he poked her in the sternum and took another step closer. 

  


“Don’t forget what I promised.I _will_ kill them,” he hissed.

  


“I didn’t,” she bit back as her head snapped back up.“But I also know that you will never find _her_ unless I take you there.So back off and let me do this.”

  


Mon-el studied her for a few beats and then backed up, grabbed the ropes around her wrists and yanked her forward.“No more games.Hurry up.”

  


Alex threw a glare over her shoulder but started walking forward again.“Why are you doing this?It’s obviously not for my sister.”

  


Alex’s mind quickly brought up what had happened mere hours ago in her mother’s house.She tried to fight down the fear and anger that slammed through her chest at the memory. 

  


_“I will personally slit your mother’s throat.And then once I’m done with her, I’ll kill your sister too.”_

  


_Alex’s heart had skipped a beat, stuttered out a few more and then seemed to stop completely.There was nothing but freezing cold terror coursing through her now, settling heavy in her stomach and making her want to be sick.She tried to swallow, struggled to get her throat muscles to respond, and then tried again.A shaky breath managed to slip into her lungs through her nose._

  


_“Do we understand each other?”_

  


_Alex could only nod, her eyes never leaving her sister’s face.Sweet, innocent Kara.The girl who annoyed Alex to no end, but didn’t have an evil bone in her body.Loving, compassionate, strong Kara with blue eyes that could melt steel.Kara didn’t know how to protect herself, neither did her mother.That was her job.They needed her to do this, to protect them from this monster that had weaseled his way into their little bubble._

  


_She watched as concern flooded Kara’s face.Alex must not have been as quick to cover up her reaction to Mon-el’s threat as she tried to be.When Kara tried to take a step towards them, her hand moving imperceptibly to reach for Alex, Alex shook her head.It was barely there, a twitch to anyone else who was watching.But Mon-el still had a hold of her neck so he felt it._

  


_“Good girl.Tell them something so they won’t worry and then we’ll be on our way.”_

  


_Alex fought back the gag at how sickly sweet his voice was sounding.As if he was waxing poetic about his wife, the woman he loved, and not threatening her life.This time she nodded, the movement just as subtle as before.She breathed a little easier once Mon-el released her and took a step back._

  


_“You’ll do it, Alex?”_

  


_Her eyes darted to her mother, the disbelief flashing momentarily before she brought it back under control.Did none of them understand_ what exactly _they were asking of her?Her mother was asking her to betray Lena in such a way that it would most likely destroy Alex.  And she seemed almost flippant and detached about the request like it wasn’t the hardest thing Alex would have to do.Lena, who never wanted to hurt anyone.Lena who saved her.Lena, whose smile lit up the night and made Alex feel safe and_ welcome _for the first time in her life._

  


_But she had to play along.At least until she could come up with a better plan where everyone was safe.She had to make Mon-el think he had won._

  


_“Yes, mother.I’ll do it.”_

  


_“Good,” she smiled.“We wouldn’t want her to come back around here, now would we?”_

  


_Kara’s eyes finally left Alex and snapped to her mother.She looked like she was about to argue, and knowing Kara it would be in defense of Lena.Kara always saw the good in people, it was simultaneously her best and worst quality._

  


_“No, we wouldn’t,” Alex agreed obediently.She forced a smile and refused to meet Kara’s shocked expression.“We should get going.Don’t want to be out there after dark.”_

  


_Mon-el’s predatory smirk was back and he nodded enthusiastically.“No, we wouldn’t.”He then gestured for Alex to leave before him, following out soon after he bid his wife goodbye._

  


“Of course it’s not for her.Though she should be thanking me after I finish with this.What with her self-righteousness and constant need to _be good_ ,” Mon-el scoffed. 

  


He chuckled when Alex started to protest his description of her sister.“Don’t pretend like you haven’t thought the same thing about her, Alex.It’s written all over your face whenever someone compares you two.And the curses?Those marks you wear so proudly?We all know it's your misguided attempt at making yourself different.All so we would stop comparing you two.”

  


He nudged her shoulder almost good-naturedly.She bit back another painful groan.“It’s okay,” he continued.“No one blames you for it.Lord knows it's been hard enough being her husband all this time.Always holding me back from what I could be.”

  


“Then why did you marry her?” Alex ground out, her teeth clenched so tight in anger that it distorted her voice slightly. 

  


He laughed out loud this time.“Have you seen her?If I’m going to bide my time with a peasant from the village, it might as well be the most attractive one.”

  


Alex abruptly stopped and wheeled around to face him.“I’m going to kill you!” 

  


He wasn’t expecting her attack as both her fists slammed into his nose.He stumbled back slightly, barely able to keep his feet underneath him as she threw herself at him.He caught her waist and redirected her momentum away from him.That move left his back exposed briefly and Alex took advantage of it.She pivoted quickly and slammed her fists against his left shoulder. 

  


Just as she was raising her fists again, several pairs of hands were grabbing her and pulling her away.She thrashed in their arms, unintelligible threats ripping from her throat as she tried to reach him, her feet kicking wildly in his direction.

  


Rage was pouring off of Mon-el as he turned and glared at her.HIs hand came up and very slowly wiped the blood away from his nose.In two quick steps he was in front of her, his face red and the vein in his forehead pulsing with each pounding beat of his heart. 

  


He roughly grabbed her hair and yanked her head back.“You bitch!Do that again and I’ll stick you like a pig and then go back to your family!I will kill them slowly.And I promise you, it will be painful.”

  


Alex spit in his face. 

  


He chuckled darkly as he wiped that away too.“I cannot wait until this is over.I am going to enjoy killing you.”

  


He looked delighted as Alex stilled.“Oh, you didn’t think I was going to let you live after all of this, did you?You poor, foolish girl.I see the way your face lights up when you talk about the Witch.Your infatuation with her is pathetically obvious.Can’t have you out here exacting revenge.”

  


That smug smirk slid back across his face as he reached up and grabbed Alex’s jaw.His four fingers slapped against her cheek condescendingly.“I can only hope that she feels the same.Then I can kill you in front of her before I take her to the King.”

  


Mon-el pushed Alex’s face away from him and then took a step back.Alex took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down.She needed a clear head if she was going to get out of this, especially without bringing harm to her family or to Lena.“That’s what this is about?” she asked once the other men had released her.

  


“Hmmm?”Mon-el turned to face her.Alex couldn’t tell if he was feigning indifference or if he really didn’t care.“Oh.Yes.The King offered a reward for magic users,” he shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.

  


Alex narrowed her eyes at him, “seriously?What is he offering?Lordship?”

  


Mon-el waved dismissively at her.“No.Not for someone as young as this Witch.She can’t be near powerful enough.But for someone older, one who has more knowledge and power?Yes, he is offering Lordship for that.This one will most likely only get me a knighthood.”

  


“I am going to kill you when this is over.That is a promise.”

  


“Yes, yes.Now can we continue on?”

  


Alex cursed his name as he pushed her forward again. 

  


  


 

  


  


Lena poked at the dirt in front of her with the stick in her hand.She was sitting on a fallen log, staring at the fish trap that Alex had made just the day before.She didn’t know how she ended up here, but it was as good a place as any for her to cry in peace she decided. 

  


And that’s what she had been doing for most of the morning.Crying and feeling sorry for herself.Well, that last part was what the voices in her head were telling her she was doing.Of all the times for her mother’s voice to ring out strong and true in her head, this was possibly the worst. 

  


_This is why we don’t get attached, Lena.They’ll only disappoint you in the end._

  


_You don’t need anyone, Lena.You’re stronger than that.You don’t need to be loved.You’re a Luthor._

  


_We have a reputation to uphold, Lena.Being a sniveling mess isn’t very becoming.And for what?A girl you knew for four days?_

  


“No,” Lena protested to the empty forest.“I’ve known Alex for longer than that.I _know_ her.”

  


_Do you?_ The voice mocked. _You thought she could have feelings for you, and yet she’s gone._

  


Lena sighed miserably.Her stick moved idly back and forth in the dirt, drawing nothing in particular.Her eyes drifted to the river as light reflected brightly off of the few fish that were swimming in the trap.Lena scoffed at how smug Alex would look if she could see them.

  


Her mind wandered easily back to Alex.Always back to Alex.Even when she hadn’t known what Alex looked like, she knew her.There was a connection between them that no one would be able to understand.Not unless they had been touched by her magic.Even then it wouldn’t be the same.

  


Magic was individual and personal to the caster. In order to properly cast a spell or create a potion, the witch or wizard needed to leave a part of themselves behind.Meaning that their magic was something that was so innately them, something that was simply theirs and theirs alone.Even if Alex got cursed by another caster, it wouldn’t feel the same.It would feel different, maybe even wrong. 

  


By taking on so many curses, Alex had unknowingly taken in a large part of Lena.  It connected them in a way that was _beyond_ intimate.It ran so deep between them that she _should_ be able to feel what Alex was feeling.If she would just let herself.Of course, she had never tried it, but it was something she just understood.They would be forever tied together on some level.

  


She could reach out and feel everything Alex could.She could reach out and see if Alex was thinking about her.See if Alex was ok.See… Alex.

 

All she had to do was open that door in her mind. 

  


“Stop that.She’s gone and now you have to move on,” Lena scolded herself.She took a deep breath and then exhaled forcefully.“Okay.Time to get to work.”

  


She nodded once decisively to herself.Alex was a grown woman and Lena wasn’t going to beg her to come back.No, she had obviously made her choice and Lena would respect that.She had to.There was no other way to put her heart back together.She had to keep moving forward. 

  


The villagers would be back.She didn’t have time to mope, not now.She had given herself the morning, and that would have to be enough. 

  


Even if she trusted Alex with knowing where the cottage was, it didn’t mean that she trusted the rest of the villagers.As much as she had tried to reassure Alex the night before, she had been terrified when they got as close as they did.The perimeter spells were supposed to warn her of their advancement, the intensity of the warning growing with each spell they broke through.

  


The fact that she hadn’t felt any of the warnings until they had triggered the one closest to her cottage spoke volumes on how distracted she had been.Her mother would skin her alive if she ever found out, having made sure Lena had grown up on stories of how terrible and violent people were.They wouldn’t have hesitated to attack her, and most likely Alex too for simply being there.

  


That was something she couldn’t allow… Alex being hurt because of her. So maybe it was for the best that Alex left.Now the villagers would only be looking for her, which means Alex would be safe.And that was really all that mattered.Lena would willingly give up her peace and quiet, hell even her life, if it meant that Alex was safe. 

  


And she would make sure that Alex stayed safe, no matter what.The longer she lead the villagers on a wild goose chase, the longer they would need Alex alive to help find her home.So she went around setting more defensive wards and spells that were designed to disorient and distract. 

  


She had never hurt something without reason or provocation, had never wanted to.Unlike her mother who had tried to teach her that people were beneath them, that they didn’t deserve to live.Lena, however, thought the opposite.Everyone deserved a chance to live, a chance to better themselves. 

  


Walking to about two hundred feet from her home, she stopped and whispered an incantation, smiling when the familiar tingling passed through her arm and left her fingers.This one was one of her favorites.If they managed to trip this particular spell, the trees around them would shift and the path the villagers were on would take them in another direction. 

  


She had already laid a handful of these on her way to the river.In about an hour, she would have her cottage surrounded by this particular spell.After that, it would be a shrouding enchantment on the trees to make them all look the same and disorienting anyone who crossed the barrier of the spell. 

  


Lena sighed.At this rate, her paranoia would keep her busy well into the night.But she supposed it was for the best.She knew Alex would try to keep them from coming back out here, but Alex was only one person.If they wanted to come back and hunt her down, there wouldn’t be much that Alex could do to stop them, especially if they believed that Lena had taken Alex intending to hurt her.

  


The distant sound of voices broke Lena out of her musings.She quickly crouched behind a rather large bush before she rolled her eyes at herself.She muttered the cloaking spell to hide and then stood up, her eyes scanning the forest for any sign of the villagers.They definitely weren’t trying to be quiet.That fact unnerved Lena a little bit.It was almost as if they didn’t care if she knew they were coming.

  


It took about two minutes, but she finally saw the group slowly emerge from the surrounding trees.There were a lot of them, more than Lena had been expecting.And all of them were armed.Heavily.Several were on horses. 

  


She sighed to herself.If it came down to defending herself and her home, it would be a long difficult battle.One Lena wasn’t sure she would be able to win.But she would have to try if it came to it.Luckily for her, and most of the villagers, she wasn’t out of ways to distract them quite yet.And if all else failed, she could teleport out and let them wander around aimlessly until they got bored.Her spells would hold, of that she was sure.

  


There was a sharp cry of pain as one of them stumbled and fell to the ground.Lena’s blood ran cold.She knew that voice.She wouldn’t be able to forget that voice even if she wanted to. 

  


“Alex,” she whispered as she started hurrying towards the group.There was no way she was going to leave the other woman with them.

  


  


 

  


  


Alex struggled to her feet.She hadn’t been able to keep herself from crying out this time.Mon-el had kicked her feet out from under her when she had muttered some insults under her breath. She rolled over onto her back just as Mon-el stepped up so he was towering over her. 

  


He pulled his foot back and then brought it crashing forward, impacting heavily into her ribs.Alex let out a strangled cry as pain flared through her chest and down her side like fire consuming dry wood— it was fast, immediate and brutal.She curled into herself, trying to protect her protesting ribs even as she struggled to take a decent breath.He brought his foot back and kicked her again, this time in her stomach.

  


Alex wheezed.  Her lungs were burning for air.Making her body obey her command to breathe was proving to be a little difficult though, so she settled for several short gasps that barely rattled through her chest.She rolled back onto her stomach and tried to crawl away from the attack.If she could get far enough away, she could get to her feet and have a fighting chance.Down on the ground like this she was exposed and unable to properly defend herself.

  


She felt his hand twist roughly into the back of her tunic and had just enough time to yelp as he yanked her to her feet.He held her there, ignoring the hatred that burned in her eyes.

  


“You’re leading us in circles and wasting our time.”

  


“I’m not,” Alex said, her voice managing to sound more solid than she felt in that moment. 

  


“You are!Enough games!”He threw her back to the ground.

  


With her hands bound as they were, she wasn’t able to properly catch her fall.Whatever breath she had managed to gain was knocked back out of her with the force of the impact.Alex laid there, her hands gripping at nothing as she coughed.She kicked her legs rather uselessly against the dirt as she tried to put distance between them again. 

  


If the pain in her ribs was distracting, the pain that was shooting through her body from her shoulder was excruciating.It wasn’t even close to being healed and Mon-el was definitely taking advantage of it.Grey started to seep into the corners of her vision. 

  


Alex shook her head and took as deep a breath as she could manage.She had to stay awake.She blinked a few times to help clear her vision and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees.There had to be a way out of this, she just had to find it.

  


Mon-el knelt down so he was looking at her.“I don’t know why you’re trying to protect her.Do you even know who her mother is?”

  


Alex grit her teeth and pushed herself into a kneeling position.“I’m not protecting her.I don’t know where she is.”

  


Mon-el reached out and once again slapped her cheek slightly in condescension.He sighed.“You must take me for a fool.I know you were there.Now, where is it?I’m beginning to lose my patience.”

  


“She kept me in the forest.We never stayed still for too long.”

  


He slapped her for real this time.Alex’s head whipped to the side, the bitter taste of copper exploding in her mouth.“Try again,” he seethed.

  


“I was unconscious for most of it.I woke up at the forest edge this morning.”

  


Mon-el shook his head in disappointment.“I thought you cared about your family more than this, Alex.”

  


“I’m not lying!”

  


This time his fist collided with the side of her mouth.Her head hung down as blood dripped from her split lip.She struggled to spit it out and then quickly ran her tongue over the injury to see how bad it was.

  


“You are though.”

  


Alex didn’t see the knife until it was too late.The sun glinting off the blade caught her attention, and she pulled her head away from it… right into Mon-el’s waiting grasp.His fingers tangled roughly in her short hair and he tugged until her head was at an angle that she couldn’t fight him.He smiled cruelly as the blade came up to rest on the top of her left ear.

  


“Last chance before I take your ear.Where is the Witch?”

  


“Go to hell,” Alex growled. 

  


“Such a pity,” he sighed.“You were almost as attractive as your sister.Oh well, this is your choice.”

  


He pressed down with the knife, tightening his grip on Alex’s head as she began to struggle.A deep-throated growl turned into a scream through clenched teeth as the blade began cutting through her skin. 

  


“You can put a stop to this,” Mon-el taunted even as he continued.“Tell me where she is!”

  


“I don’t know!” Alex yelled back.The desperation and pain obvious in her voice. 

  


“You do!Now tell me!”

  


“I can’t!”

  


Mon-el suddenly stopped and pulled back to look at her.“Can’t?Or won’t?”

 

“What?” Alex asked.She blinked a few times to try and clear the blurriness that had settled behind her eyes.  Staring at one thing - the knife - helped bring the world back into focus. Her hands came up and felt that her ear was still there, even though there was enough of a cut to start separating the appendage from her head.

  


“You can’t tell me, or you won’t tell me?There’s a difference Alex.A big one.”

  


“Fuck you,” Alex spit more blood out of her mouth right into Mon-el’s face. 

  


Mon-el shrugged and placed the blade back to the side of her head.“Your choice.I have another ear and then fingers and toes to choose from next.I have all day.You on the other hand?Not so much.”

  


“You’re sick.”

  


“Most likely,” he nodded.“Put a stop to this, Alex.Where is the Witch?”

  


“Right here.”

  


Three things happened extremely quickly. 

  


First, the light from the sun vanished as if a devastating storm was rushing in upon them.  It left the area in a dark green haze like someone had placed a colored glass over their eyes.One second it was midday, the next it was dark. 

  


Second, the air thinned around them. It felt like was being sucked away by some unseen force.It took the warmth with it too, leaving the forest feeling ice cold.

  


Third, Lena simply appeared in front of the group of men.Her hands were extended out at her hips, her palms facing the group, and she seemed to glow with the missing light.

  


In his surprise, Mon-el released his hold on Alex and dropped the knife.She managed to grab it and scramble a few feet away from the group, her eyes taking Lena in as she moved.Her blood froze in her veins.Gone was the gentle woman Alex had grown accustomed to.Gone was the easy-going smile and adorable blush that colored her cheeks when Alex teased her too much.Gone were the green eyes that Alex loved so much, that held so much humor and compassion.

  


In her place was a monster that the villagers were terrified of, and had every right to be.She was wraith-like, so pale she was almost transparent, which caused a stark contrast to how black her hair suddenly seemed.There were flames licking at Lena’s hands, dancing over her skin as if they belonged there.And her eyes… gods, her eyes were blood red.

  


“You wanted me, here I am.”

  


Then the world exploded around them. 

  



	7. So close and yet....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena confronts Mon-el. Mon-el tries not to accept his fate. And everyone takes a stroll down memory lane. Spoiler: it's not pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all seriously spoiling me over here. Every time I get a notification of kudos or a comment, I can't help but smile. You make the long hours and constant frustration of writing this story totally worth it. I originally started writing it intending it to be a few quick chapters with a little angst and a lot of fluff. Your love and support have inspired me to write what is quickly becoming my longest story ever written. So seriously, thank you all from the very bottom of my heart. 
> 
> As for this chapter.... oops, my hand slipped. It was not at all how I wanted it written. But this is what wanted to come out and refused to let me rest until it did. I hope it lives up to expectations.
> 
> There is quite a bit of violence in this chapter, so if that could possibly trigger you I recommend you shoot me a message and I'll give you a recap.
> 
>  
> 
> xxxxxxxxx

One second Mon-el was threatening to cut her ear off if she didn’t reveal the location of the Witch.The next there was utter chaos exploding around them.It was frantic.It was panic fueled.It was a simultaneous burst and disappearance of frenetic energy. 

 

The men around the small clearing began running even as the light was still disappearing around them.They were screaming even as the heat left them all shivering as it was pulled from them. 

 

Alex scrambled away from Mon-el as soon as he had let her go.She didn’t stop to look at exactly what was happening as she desperately tried to put space between them.As she moved, her fingers brushed over the cool steel of the knife that now lay forgotten off to the side.Quickly grasping it in her hand, she spun so her back wasn’t exposed in case Mon-el tried to attack her while she was defenseless.

 

Her eyes darted around at the group of men who had all stood by while she was being attacked and threatened.They were terrified, that much was obvious.Some were tripping over themselves as they tried to flee.Alex couldn’t pull her attention from them, even though her mind was screaming at her to find what was causing this.She had only ever seen such fear once before in her life.And that was when a witch was laying waste to her village, killing everything in her path.

 

Her brain finally caught up to what she was seeing even as Lena’s voice rang out, eerily apathetic.“You wanted me, here I am.”

 

Alex’s head whipped around, her eyes settling on the vision before her. 

 

_Vision._

 

That was the only word that would accurately describe what she was looking at.Physically it was Lena.Alex would be able to pick her form out in a crowd of thousands.That’s where the similarities ended though.This ethereal _being_ standing before her wasn’t the Lena that she knew.She definitely wasn’t the woman that Alex had fallen in love with.

 

This person…this _thing_ was terrifying. 

 

The realization that she was looking at the Witch and _not_ Lena nearly knocked Alex over.There was no way that Lena was in control.Her skin was paler than usual and her hair darker than the emptiest night sky.Flames danced effortlessly around her hands, licking their way up her arms, completely ignoring the sleeves of her tunic and leaving them intact.

 

And her eyes.Gods her eyes. 

 

This was the magic in control of Lena.Of that Alex was sure.The revulsion and fear she felt in that exact moment had her doubling over, desperately trying to keep what little food she had consumed that day from coming back up. 

 

In all of the years that Alex had been interacting with Lena, she had never been scared.She knew that Lena would never hurt her, even as she continued to leave curses on the tree.She knew she was safe with Lena. 

 

Until now.

 

Now, Alex had no idea what was about to happen.Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.A primal need to run, to put distance between herself and this version of Lena was visceral.It itched, it screamed, it made her skin feel like it was vibrating in its desperation to flee.It almost took over her ability to think rationally, _that’s_ how frightening this Lena was. 

 

But it was Lena. And right now, she needed Alex to stay.This was going to get a lot worse unless someone stepped in to stop it.Someone had to bring Lena back from whatever brink she was currently balancing on.Alex was the only one who would be able to, so she took a steadying breath and willed herself to stay put.

 

“Fuck!” 

 

Alex yelled out as Lena’s hands shot out in front of her.Alex flopped onto her side and covered her head as the flames left Lena’s skin and flew out over everyone’s heads.The heat exploded back into the forest as the trees behind them burst into flames cutting off the men’s retreat. 

 

They quickly turned to try a different way, but Lena’s hands barely moved, her wrists merely twitching out to the side.The flames seemed to follow her command, twisting and growing until it surrounded the group on three sides.Lena stood at the only way out, a feral grin twisting repulsively across her face.She seemed to bask in the screams of the men in front of her.

 

Alex swore again as she started sawing away at the ropes around her wrists.If she was going to put a stop to this before Lena killed someone, she needed to act fast.If Lena hurt any of these men, there would be no stopping them coming for her in the future.It was acts of violence like this that had the King putting a bounty out on all magic users, regardless of the type of magic they practiced. 

 

Lena stalked closer to Mon-el, her focus solely on him.Her movements were fluid and predatory.She knew she was the one with all of the power in that moment, and it showed in how she was carrying herself.

 

Alex moved the knife faster.“Come on, come on.”

 

She might not have known Lena for a long time, but it was enough to know that if Lena did any harm to these men there would be no coming back from that.Lena — who was so pure and just so fucking _good_ —would lose a large part of herself if she crossed that line, and Alex wasn’t sure if she would be able to come back from it.No matter how much these men may have deserved everything Lena was about to do.Alex wasn’t about to let that happen.

 

“Finally,” Alex breathed out as the last strand of the rope snapped free.She dropped the knife and quickly pushed herself to her feet.She fought back the wave of nausea that the sudden movement caused when she jostled her ribs and shoulder.She needed to focus.Lena needed her to move.

 

Lena was now standing in front of Mon-el, who had stayed where he was on his knees when he had been torturing Alex.Time seemed to slow down as Lena’s hand reached out for Mon-el’s throat, the flames back to dancing across her fingertips.Her lips curled back exposing her canines as Mon-el’s eyes widened and he began to shake.

 

Alex forced herself to move faster.“Lena!” she called out, hoping to stop the other woman before she killed him.She reached out just as Lena’s hand made contact with Mon-el’s skin.He screamed, and Alex gasped as her fingers closed around Lena’s wrist. 

 

She could feel the fire burning the skin on her fingers, but she refused to let go as she yanked Lena’s hand back.Once Lena’s hand was away from Mon-el, Alex released her wrist with a cry of pain.

 

The Witch whipped around to face Alex, her eyes staying the same blood red color.“Why!?” she screeched as her shoulders rolled up and forward, the aggression rolling off of her with the introduction of a new threat. 

 

Alex held up her hands, her left slightly higher than her right because of the injury.“Lena, it’s me.”

 

Lena’s gaze seemed to cut right through her as she took a step towards Alex.There wasn’t any sign of recognition on Lena’s face.Alex reached out to her, all of her attention on Lena.“Lena, it’s Alex.Please, stop.Not like this.”

 

“Why?It’s what you all deserve.”

 

A chill ran down Alex’s spine even as she sweats from the heat of the flames.Lena’s voice had dropped a few octaves and was rougher, almost animalistic in its derision, her lips twisted grotesquely in a snarl.Alex took a few instinctive steps backward, hoping that her slow movements didn’t enrage the Witch further. 

 

“Lena. _Please._ Don’t do this.”

 

A finger pointed directly at Alex and for a second she expected to be hit in the face with a stream of fire.She slammed her eyes shut, but peaked one open when the pain didn’t come.Lena was now standing right in front of her, seeming to tower over the other woman.Her finger was so close to Alex’s face the heat was becoming more than just uncomfortable.

 

“Don’t tell me what to do.Everyone’s always telling me what to do!”

 

“Okay,” Alex tried to soothe, her hands coming up again in a calming way.That need to run was back and itching again, tugging at her insides.She swallowed back the fear that was tearing its way through her blood at that moment. “Okay, Lena.”

 

Alex moved her one hand slowly towards Lena’s face in a move that was so much braver than she felt in that second.It seemed to take forever, Alex’s breathing becoming heavier with every passing heartbeat.When her hand was inches from Lena’s skin, Alex took a deep breath and held it.She then took the leap and gently placed it on Lena’s cheek.When nothing happened, Alex moved to cup Lena’s face with both hands.

 

The move seemed to confuse Lena who froze in place, the malicious grin dropping in a look of pure bewilderment.Then she blinked and her eyebrows furrowed.Her head moved slightly to the right as if she was studying Alex.

 

Alex released the breath she was holding and stepped into Lena’s space.She tightened her grip on Lena’s face, the pressure more reassuring than threatening.“Lena,” she sighed as she leaned her forehead against the Witch’s.“I’m safe.You saved me.I’m ok, I promise.Please just come back to me.”

 

Lena’s next breath hitched and she leaned into Alex’s touch slightly.Alex smiled sadly as her eyes slipped shut and she pressed her forehead more firmly against Lena’s.“I can’t do this without you.And I don’t want to.So I need you to come back now.Please just come home.”

 

With that Lena sagged against Alex’s body and all of the heat that had been surrounding them suddenly disappeared.Lena’s head moved to rest against Alex’s left shoulder, her nose turning to breathe in Alex’s scent. 

 

“Alex?”The question coming up muffled and groggy sounding.

 

Alex’s arms moved protectively around Lena’s shoulders.She simply held the woman for a second while the chaos around them dispersed as most of the men ran back towards the village.

 

“Yeah.It’s me. You’re okay, I’ve got you.”

 

Alex turned so she was speaking into Lena’s hair, the words slipping quietly and reassuringly through the small space between them.Lena’s arms circled around Alex’s waist and she squeezed her to return the embrace.

 

Alex hissed and tried to hide the flinch that came with the pressure.But Lena’s arms had been directly over where Mon-el kicked her.Lena pulled back immediately and all but shoved Alex to arm’s length so she could assess the other woman.

 

Knowing that Lena needed to reassure herself that Alex wasn’t about to die, she allowed Lena to search her from head to toe for any visible injury.Other than the split lip and cut on her ear, there wasn’t anything else to see. 

 

“You’re hurt,” Lena whispered as her right hand came up and her thumb gently traced the cut in Alex’s lip. 

 

“I’m fine.”Alex’s hand came up to cup Lena’s elbow.She needed to feel Lena.Part of her was still reeling from what had just happened and she needed to feel grounded.She needed to know that Lena, _her Lena,_ was here in front of her.

 

“Where,”Lena demanded instead of asked as she reached for the hem of Alex’s tunic. 

 

“Lena, I’m ok.I promise.It’s just a few bruises.”

 

Lena’s flashed dangerously, the intent clear there even though they remained their vibrant green.She spun on her heel and couldn’t stop the smirk that tugged at the corner of her mouth when she realized that only a small handful of the villagers remained.Most of them were still frozen in fear, their eyes never straying too far from Lena’s form. 

 

Her back tensed urgently when she realized that Mon-el wasn’t among them.She actually growled as she began searching the surrounding area for him.When it was obvious he wasn’t there, she turned back to look at Alex. 

 

“Where did he…” the question died when she made eye contact with the very man she had been looking for.He had been trying to sneak up behind Alex.

 

“You!” she hollered as she took a threatening step towards him.His arm snapped around Alex’s waist and he pulled her flush against him.

 

“Ah-ah.None of that,” he warned as the knife was suddenly against Alex’s throat.

 

Alex froze, her hands coming up in front of her.She wasn’t sure if she was trying to show Mon-el that she wasn’t armed, or if she was trying to reassure Lena.“Mon-el, don’t be stupid.Just let us go and we’ll leave.We’ll go further into the woods and you won’t have to see us again.”

 

He tightened his hold on her and pressed the knife further into her neck when Lena took a step forward.“Think you’re faster than me Witch?Care to chance it?”

 

Lena’s eyes narrowed at the challenge.Her eyes darted to Alex briefly.Alex shook her head.“Don’t.Just run, Lena.I’ll be ok.”

 

“Alex, do hush dear.I’m not leaving you.”Lena’s focus slid wolfishly back to Mon-el.“Besides, men like him don’t deserve to live.”

 

“Is that what your mother taught you?How to kill for sport?”  


Lena’s next step faltered and her face twitched in surprise before settling back into an impassive mask. The pain and guilt were obvious in her eyes though.“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“Sure you do,” Mon-el smirked as he pushed his cheek flush against Alex’s.“You and I both know that you remember what she did.It was long enough ago that all of us would have been toddlers, but I know we all remember _exactly_ who your mother is and _what_ she’s capable of.”

 

Lena couldn’t stop her eyes from shifting back to Alex’s.She hadn’t wanted Alex to find out this way.She knew that Alex remembered, there was no way that she didn’t.Lena winced as recognition dawned on Alex’s face which was quickly draining of its color.

 

“That was your mother?” 

 

 

 

 

 

_Alex was terrified.She wanted her mom but didn’t know where she was._

 

_They had been at the market to get supplies and had stopped at a stall to get some toys for Alex’s brand new sister.Alex had wanted to buy Kara something to make her happy.She was her big sister, that was her job now.She needed to make sure Kara was happy._

 

_She had been looking at all the wooden objects on the table in front of her when the first explosion had rocked through the busy area.Then someone screamed and everyone started running._

 

_Alex had been too little to hold onto her mom’s hand.She had tried, but she wasn’t strong enough and everyone had been bumping into her, pushing her further and further away._

 

_Alex fell over, her shoe catching on a rock.People were still running all around her as another loud noise startled her.She covered her ears with her hands and tried to curl up into a ball.When someone’s foot came really close to stepping on her head, Alex rolled to the left to hide under another stall._

 

_“Mommy!”She screamed from where she was curled up under the table.There was so much noise.And it was loud.She was scared and all she wanted was to go home._

 

_“Alexandra!”_

 

_She barely heard it, but that had been her mom calling for her.Alex sat up a little and tried screaming again.“Mommy!”_

 

_“Alexandra!Where are you?”_

 

_Alex realized that her mom wouldn’t be able to see her when she was hiding under the vegetable stand.She rolled onto her knees and crawled to the side of the stall, her little hands gripping the wood desperately._

 

_Her eyes widened in fear when she finally looked at what was happening in the middle of what had once been the market.A tall woman in a tight black dress was standing where the fountain used to be.Her brown hair was done up in braids and she was laughing… loudly.Her right arm was waving around in the air, trailing fire in its wake with every movement._

 

_Alex watched in horror as the fire whipped out and caught a man’s ankle.It tossed him up in the air and let him go as he flew into a nearby stand.Her laughing only got louder._

 

_When the man didn’t get back up, the woman turned and flicked her left hand out.A fireball flew into the tavern, exploding in bright light, a wave of heat following after the flash._

 

_Alex knew tears were streaming down her face.She knew she should be a big girl and not cry, but everything that was happening was scaring her.She should go find her mom so they could go home and away from this lady, but she couldn’t move._

 

_The lady turned and tossed more fireballs into the surrounding buildings.It wasn’t long before everything was on fire.The smoke was starting to burn Alex’s eyes and throat.She still couldn’t move.The lady’s laugh was so ugly that it held her in place._

 

_Then blue eyes were suddenly looking right at Alex.The lady’s laughter had finally stopped, but now she was walking right towards her.Alex screamed louder.She didn’t like this person and wanted her to leave._

 

_“You’ll do nicely,” the woman had said, her tone gleeful and excited._

 

_She was getting closer when hands grabbed Alex under her arms and she was suddenly being carried away from the market by strong hands.Her little arms snaked around her dad’s neck and she held on tight as he ran away from the scary lady._

 

_The witch’s cackle followed them as they ran through the burning village._

 

 

 

 

 

Alex screwed her eyes shut.There was no way that _that_ woman was Lena’s mother.It wasn’t possible.She remembered that day.It wasn’t a continuous memory, most of it coming to her in bits and pieces from time to time.But she remembered how fucking _terrifying_ it had been.

 

There were nights she still woke up in a cold sweat, convinced that she could smell the burning buildings and feel the witch’s laughter piercing her soul.She could hear the screams fading off into the still room as she would sit there panting for breath. 

 

The nightmares always ended the same too.She would turn to look at Alex and would start walking towards her.And instead of her dad finding her and running to safety, she would be caught by the witch who would grin at her.“ _You’ll do nicely,”_ she would always say, the pure joy cutting sickeningly through the screams and explosions around her.Then she would set Alex on fire. 

 

It was a rare night when Alex would be able to go back to sleep after that.The final image of the woman _cackling_ as buildings crumbled and burned around her seared into Alex’s memory forever.She would ultimately see that every time she would try to go back to sleep.

 

“No,” Alex said.There was no way they were related.There was _no way_ that that Witch had raised Lena. 

 

“See?” Mon-el asked mockingly.“She does remember.You know that your mother almost took Alex away?”

 

“What?”Lena sounded so broken that Alex’s eyes flew open.She tried to make eye contact with Lena, but the other woman was staring off into the distance. 

 

“No.That’s not… No.That’s not what happened.”She shook her head as she tried to convince herself that this man was lying.

 

“Almost killed her too.And for what?For fun?”

 

Lena’s head started shaking harder back and forth.Now her eyes looked at Alex, imploring her to believe her.“That’s not how that happened.She didn’t do it for fun.”

 

Mon-el sneered at her.“Then what for?Why did she _burn_ our village and kill _fifteen_ people!?” 

 

Alex watched as Lena recoiled after every word that Mon-el said.She was shrinking further and further in on herself while he kept throwing her past mercilessly in her face.“She was protecting us,” Lena whispered.

 

“From what!?” Mon-el roared.

 

“The king was hunting us, he was going to kill us.She said she went to the village to send a message.She wouldn’t do what you’re saying she did.”

 

“Look at Alex’s face and tell me if I’m lying.”

 

Alex bristled at being used in Mon-el’s sick game.Lena’s green eyes found her brown ones and searched for the answer she desperately needed to see.Alex did what she could to show Lena that she believed her, but she saw the instant that Lena’s fears were confirmed. 

 

“Alex,” the whimper that came from Lena cut Alex deeper than the knife at her throat ever could.It was laced with regret and defeat.In that moment, Alex knew that Mon-el had all but won.

 

“Lena,” Alex snapped.“Look at me.It doesn’t matter.That’s not —“

 

She was cut off when Mon-el pushed the knife roughly against her throat.“That’s enough of that.Let her family’s guilt soak in for a second.I want her to feel all the blood her mother spilled, every life her mother took.”

 

“Enough, Mon-el.”Alex ignored the pain that bit into her skin when she swallowed.“I know you lost your brother that day.Everyone lost something or someone.But _that_ wasn’t _her._ ”

 

“Close enough,” he growled.“Now, I tire of this.It’s time I finish what your mother started.”

 

Lena’s tear-filled eyes shot to his.They widened when she saw his grip tighten on the knife.She raised her hand to stop him from dragging the blade across Alex’s neck, tossing a barrier spell in for good measure.

 

Alex felt a cool tingle shift between the blade and her skin.The steel was no longer making contact or cutting into her.Thanking whatever god was listening that Lena hadn’t completely given up, Alex pivoted and slammed her elbow into Mon-el’s ribs. 

 

He grunted and stumbled back slightly, his shocked expression watching as the knife flew uselessly out of his hands.He turned to look at Lena as she walked towards him.He put his hands up, knowing that he had finally run out of chances. 

 

“Wait.Please.”

 

Lena’s laugh was humorless as she strode towards him.“Why should I?You weren’t going to wait before you killed Alex.”

 

He looked over at the other woman, hoping that she would stop Lena like she had last time.He sagged in relief when she did approach, her hand gently coming to rest on Lena’s forearm. 

 

He blanched, all color draining away from his face when she simply asked, “are you sure?”

 

Lena didn’t even look at Alex.She stared right at Mon-el, her eyebrow cocking as she moved her hand so it was pointing down around his ankles.Her fingers clenched into a fist and she jerked her hand back. 

 

An unseen force knocked Mon-el off of his feet and onto his back.He coughed as all the air was forced out of his lungs on the unexpected impact.His hands flew up to protect himself from what he assumed was about to be a strike.Instead, he was left looking up at Lena as she towered over him. 

 

Her hand was once again reaching out to his neck.“Yes, I’m sure.He’s never going to stop coming for me, and he’s never going to stop hurting you.”

 

Lena’s fingers started to curl into a fist and Mon-el knew that this was it.This was how he died.A surge of what felt like electricity exploded through his body, searing everything in a blinding white hot pain.

 

Alex stumbled back in horror as Mon-el writhed on the ground screaming in pain.When Lena had said she was sure, Alex had been positive that she would have ended it swiftly, not by torturing the poor man.Lena was complicated and a lot of things.But she wasn’t cruel.She wasn’t heartless.“Lena!Stop!”

 

Lena looked just as scared.“I’m not doing that!”She tore her eyes away from what was happening in front of her and searched the forest.Someone else was out there, and Lena was pretty sure she knew who it was.

 

Mon-el went limp, no longer breathing.Alex froze, panic seizing her when the voice that had haunted her dreams suddenly rang out in the forest. 

 

“How many times have I told you that they need to _fear us_ , darling.”

 

 

 


	8. A Titan vs a God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Lillian face off. Lillian is a malicious bitch, and Lena gets protective. Also, Alex can't keep her mouth shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I cannot explain how amazing you all are. Seriously, the amount of love this story has gotten has blown my mind. I wish I could give you all a big hug because you always make my day. 
> 
> This one's a little shorter than the others, and really is kind of a filler chapter. Also, the ending is probably going to make people mad, but I promise that I have a plan and it will all work out in the end.
> 
> I just got cleared to go back to work from an injury that has had me out for the last month. I am going to try and keep the weekly updates on track, but they may slow down a little after this week. I promise to do my best though.
> 
> xxxxxxxxxx

“How many times have I told you that they need to _fear us_ , darling.”

 

Lena froze.Her heart rate picked up, and she could feel the nervous energy shaking through her body.She hadn’t heard her mother’s voice in years.But it still seemed to make her incredibly anxious, like she had been caught doing something that she shouldn’t have been. 

 

Lena closed her eyes and took a deep breath.She counted to five, turned around and finally looked at the woman before her.“Mother.”

 

Lillian looked her daughter over in disapproval.“Is that any way to greet the woman who brought you into this world?”  


 

“We’ve never been the hugging type,” Lena bit back as she shifted to be able to see Alex in her periphery. 

 

Lillian shrugged and then looked down at Mon-el’s body, a sneer forming on her face.“I had heard about the hunting party.”She walked forward gracefully as if she was hovering off the ground until she was standing right next to Lena.Her booted foot reached out and kicked at Mon-el’s thigh. 

 

She sighed as she turned to face her daughter. How she managed to make an exhalation of air sound so judgmental and demeaning, Lena would never know. “I had so dearly hoped that you would have taken care of them yourself.You and I both know how _humans_ can be,” her eyes flickered to Alex briefly before settling back on Lena.“Such a waste of talent and potential.”

 

Lena moved so she was now positioned between her mother and Alex.“I didn’t see the need to torture him.And the others were simply following his lead.No need to do any harm to them,” Lena shrugged, forcing herself to seem indifferent to her mother’s words.She knew that Alex could sense her discomfort however because the villager moved a few steps closer so she was standing a few feet behind Lena. 

 

“No need?” Lillian’s voice rose incredulously.“As long as they feel like they are better than us, there is a need.As long as they are _this_ comfortable around us,” she motioned towards Alex and how close she was standing to Lena, “there will _always be a need._ ”

 

Lena could feel Alex tense behind her at finally being acknowledged directly by the woman who had destroyed her village.She desperately wanted to reach back and reassure Alex, provide some sort of physical comfort to the other woman.Her mother would be able to see just how important Alex was to her if she gave into that urge though. So she planted her feet and squared her shoulders, forcing herself to remain defiant under her mother’s scrutiny. 

 

“I have lived close to the village in peace for over a decade, mother.There is no need to provoke them with senseless violence.”

 

This time Lillian scoffed.“Oh Lena, so naive.Do you honestly believe that they would allow you to live in peace after that little display in the village?You gave them every reason to hunt you down for the King.Every reason to be the predators, instead of the prey like they’re meant to be.”

 

Lillian’s focus shifted to Alex and she studied the woman for a moment or two.“Is this the one? _She’s_ the reason for all of this?”  


 

Lena’s hands clenched involuntarily.“Leave her out of this,” she growled at her mother through clenched teeth. 

 

Lillian’s eyes darted to Lena, read every line of protectiveness on her face and smiled.“Ah, I see.You think she’s different.You think she’ll stay when everyone else has left.”

 

Lena could feel her magic itching to be released.Even it understood how important Alex was and how much she needed to be protected.Taking her mother on one on one would not end well for either of them though.

 

“Don’t,” Alex whispered.She had moved closer to Lena so she was damn near flush against her back.Lena had no idea when that had happened, and she couldn’t say that she hated it either.Alex’s mere presence seemed to have a calming effect on her, and Lena would take whatever she could get at this point. 

 

Lillian’s horrible laugh echoed throughout the empty woods.“She has you on a _leash_ child!I would have been able to understand this,” she waved her hand between Alex and Lena, “ _connection_ if the human was your pet.”

 

She moved in the blink of an eye, standing directly in Lena’s personal space now.“But it seems you are hers.And no child of mine will live that way!”

 

Lena felt the magic slam into her midsection without seeing her mother’s hand move.Helpless against the ferocity of the attack Lena doubled over, her hands crossing to protect her torso. 

 

Lillian chuckled as she then tossed Lena aside. 

 

Once again, Lena was unable to stop it, so she went limp and hoped that the impact wouldn’t be all that bad.As long as she didn’t lose consciousness, she would be able to fight back.

 

The pain was intense and immediate, starting where her back had made contact with a large tree.It radiated through her body, hot and blinding.Like razor blades soaked in acid were pulsing through her veins, tearing everything in their wake.She didn’t even feel the secondary impact of her body hitting the forest floor.

 

She blinked, trying desperately to hold onto the thin shards of awareness that remained.She could hear a struggle happening to her left, and she knew that it was Alex trying to stand strong against her mother.She could help if she could just pull air into her lungs.

 

It took her several tries.Each second that past felt like a lifetime.Finally, a shaky pull of air made it through her throat and into her lungs.It was immediately expelled in a painful coughing fit. 

 

Each movement hurt, each cough sent flashes of light to the back of her eyes.She had never felt pain such as this, and part of her wanted to succumb to it.She wanted to let it win, submit to the blissful ignorance of unconsciousness. 

 

Then Alex let out a yelp of pain, and Lena’s entire world slammed back into focus.

 

She struggled to push herself up on her hands and knees.She commanded her head to turn and see what was happening.It was slow and shaky, but eventually, her body listened.

 

Lillian had Alex pushed up against a tree, her hand wrapped tightly around Alex’s neck.She was inspecting the younger woman with the scrutiny of a doctor examining a rash.Her hold loosened and she smiled slightly, a small acerbic pull of her lips over her teeth.It was a smile that Lena was used to. 

 

It never meant anything good.

 

“She took to your magic quite well.”

 

Alex tried to pull herself away as one of Lillian’s fingers _caressed_ one of her markings.“How long did it take you to acquire all of these?”

 

“Fuck you,” Alex spit out.

 

“She’s defiant too.No wonder you like her.”

 

Lena pushed herself to her feet and took an unsteady step towards them.She could feel the push spell forming on her fingertips.

 

“Don’t,” her mother didn’t even turn to look at her as her palm shot out parallel to the ground.It quickly moved downward. 

 

Lena’s hand shot out to counter it, both spells meeting in the middle.The concussive force of the two spells meeting was deafening.It forced Lena back a few paces and knocked the wind out of Alex.Lillian remained unfazed as her head slowly turned to look at her daughter.

 

“Someone has been practicing.”

 

“The only helpful thing you taught me,” Lena bit back.

 

“Shame it won’t really be advantageous to you in the end.”

 

“Let her go, and I’ll show you _just_ how advantageous it can be.”

 

Lillian’s eyes narrowed at the threat.She shrugged her shoulders and released Alex.

 

Before Lena could yell for Alex to run, Lillian had forced Alex onto the ground, her back remaining against the trunk of the tree.

 

“She stays where she is.I want her to see what true power looks like.”

 

“I’ve already seen what you can do.Gotta say I’m really not impressed.”

 

Amusement crossed Lillian’s face as she turned to look at Alex.“You humans just really don’t get when something doesn’t concern you.”

 

“If it concerns Lena, it concerns me.”

 

Lillian scoffed as Alex struggled against the invisible binds that were holding her in place.She snapped her fingers and Alex’s body started writhing against the tree, her head thrown back and an inhuman screaming ripping through her throat. 

 

“Stop it!”Lena screamed as a fireball flew from her hand and into her mother’s back.Lillian lowered her hand and turned back to face her daughter once again.She didn’t show the slightest concern over being hit by Lena’s spell. 

 

“Oh, child.If that was the best you have, this will barely even be fun for me.”

 

Though Lillian barely moved, Lena could see the blue sparks dancing between her fingers.Lena readied a barrier spell to deflect the offensive spell her mother was prepping.The only real chance Lena had of getting out of this was her knowledge of defensive and protective spells.Her mother had never really believed in them, and Lena was praying that she hadn’t bothered to learn many of them.

 

“I couldn’t figure out why she looked familiar.The screams though, those I remember.She’s the child from the village.”Lillian threw a look of pure delight over her shoulder at Alex.“I knew you were special.You will be perfect for what I have planned.”

 

“Leave her alone!” Lena bellowed as she ran at her mother.All plans of remaining calm and methodical were forgotten.Lillian needed to be stopped and it needed to happen now.

 

“Ah, there you are,” Lillian whispered to herself as she too ran at her daughter, a look of elation on her face.

 

 

 

 

 

Alex struggled against the force that was holding her still again.She needed to get free and help Lena.She could feel a force slam into her every time the two witches threw spells at each other.It was like watching the stories of old unfold right in front of her.Titans fighting against the gods, laying waste to everything in their path. 

 

That was exactly what this was.Lena was fighting against her mother, and everything around them was suffering because of it.Some trees were on fire and others had been blown to pieces by deflected spells.And each spell that managed to land on either of the women left its mark. 

 

Lillian’s clothing was ripped in some places, her hair falling out of the braids it was in.Lena’s clothing was showing scorch marks from all of the fireballs and electricity her mother was throwing her way.There was even blood trickling down Lena’s face from a cut over her right eyebrow.

 

Lillian would throw a spell.Lena would dodge. 

 

Lena would throw, Lillian would counter. 

 

It was a sick opera playing out before her as both women twirled and ducked around vicious spells meant to inflict pain.Neither of the women was holding back, but it was becoming obvious that the longer this went on, the more it was effecting Lena.

 

Concern blossomed into full-blown panic as Lena faltered in her pace as an unseen force slammed into her.She staggered to regain her footing, reeling back as another spell crashed into her. 

 

Alex pushed, pulled, twisted herself against the tree.The panic was settling tight around her heart and stomach.It was cold, constricting and painful.Each beat, each breath was piercing as it clawed away at her insides.She screamed her fury into the forest in front of her.

 

Lena stumbled.

 

Lillian attacked.

 

Alex struggled.

 

Lena fell to her knees.

 

Lillian towered over her.

 

Alex felt her shoulders strain and almost dislocate as she fought desperately against a force she couldn’t see.

 

“Lena!”She screamed, her voice cracking in her distress.

 

Lena’s weight settled back on her heels, her body slumping in pure exhaustion and her hands falling limply to her sides.She turned to look at Alex, and everything came to a screeching halt.

 

Alex could hear her heartbeat in her ears.She could feel her pulse in her neck, in her temples, in her every breath.She knew she was shaking her head, willing Lena to get back up, to keep fighting.This couldn’t be it.This couldn’t be how it ends.They were supposed to have a chance after Mon-el was gone.They were supposed to have a chance at happiness.They were supposed to…

 

Lena’s apology poured off of every part of her body.It was palpable.The defeat that had settled in her eyes was heart-wrenching.

 

Alex thrashed against the tree.“Stop!Please!I’ll go with you!I’ll do whatever you want, just please leave her alone. _Please!”_

 

Lillian spun slowly, a predatory smirk on her face.Her condescension and confidence oozed off of her with every movement.It was smug, arrogant and every bit someone who knew they had won.“You will go with me.But my daughter needs to learn the true meaning of defeat.She was tried and found wanting.She no longer deserves to live.”

 

“No,” Alex whimpered.“Please just let her be.I’ll do whatever you want, just please don’t…” 

 

Alex couldn’t bring herself to finish her thought.The very idea of a world where Lena didn’t exist terrified Alex.She couldn't bring herself to even consider it as an option.

 

Lillian’s laugh cut her to her core.It was evil, malicious and grating.Her hand twisted back, made a cupping motion and Lena’s head moved as if someone was roughly gripping her chin.“See how _pathetic_ humans are?This is what you cast your lot with. _This_ is why you were defeated.You are weak and pitiful for loving something so _inadequate._ ”

 

Lena’s eyes, once so full of life and wonder, now dull and defeated, made contact with Alex’s.Everything that needed to be said was shining in the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. 

 

_I’m sorry._

 

_I should’ve been stronger._

 

_I love you._

 

_I’m sorry.I’m so sorry._

 

_I love you.I love you.I love you._

 

Lillian’s hand clenched into a fist and she raised it to shoulder height.Lena’s body followed the movement, now hovering a few feet above the ground.Lillian’s hand flew out and Alex screamed as Lena’s body soared through the air, slammed into the tree and crumpled to the ground where it stayed unmoving.

 

Lillian stalked towards Alex until she was standing right in front of her.She knelt down so she could look her in the eye, the smirk growing when she saw all of the pain in Alex’s gaze. 

 

“Hush now darling,” her finger traced almost lovingly along Alex’s jaw, forcing her to stop fighting against the spell holding her captive.Her screams also quieted as her mouth snapped shut against her will. 

 

“That’s better, little one.I can’t have you hurting yourself.No, no. You are way too important to my plan.”

 

She tapped her finger against Alex’s nose a few times in an almost endearing way if she hadn’t just killed two people.“Now, I think its time you and I get to know each other a little better, don’t you?”

 

Alex grunted out a muffled series of curses and threats that only had Lillian’s smile growing.“Yes, you will be perfect for this.”

 

She stood, released the binding spell that held Alex against the tree, but recast it as soon as Alex shot to her feet.Alex struggled as her arms slammed down at her sides and the rest of her body refused to move. 

 

Lillian simply cocked an eyebrow at the young blacksmith and then pointed forward.Alex’s body spun around on Lillian’s command.She continued to try and fight the binding spell as a dark purple mist slowly started seeping into the clearing around them. 

 

Alex shook her head, her muffled yells getting louder and more frantic as the mist curled effortlessly around her feet and ankles.She wouldn’t let Lillian win.She wouldn’t leave Lena alone.

 

The mist tangled higher up her legs and Alex realized that she wouldn’t be getting out of this one.She struggled harder even as her world shifted.

 

She called out to Lena one last time before her body seemed to snap in on itself and she felt herself moving sideways through the teleportation spell and into the unknown.

 

Lillian’s laugh echoed viciously in her ears, just like it had all those years ago.Then everything went black. 

 


	9. The Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lillian begins to put her plan in motion. Poor Alex suffers a little more. And Lena... well she wakes up with a headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay seriously guys.... you pushed this story beyond 4k hits. I never would have imagined the love and feedback I've been getting. Every hit, every kudo, every comment make this all so worth it. You are seriously the best. 
> 
> I hope you all wanted to see a little more of Kara, because quite honestly she hijacked this chapter and just ran with it. Can't say I'm too upset about it though. 
> 
> xxxxxxxxxx

    Kara trudged through the forest, her steps quick and determined.  Her eyes stayed trained to the ground, the trail from the hunting party her main focus.  She rolled her eyes when Winn sighed for what felt like the hundredth time since they entered the woods.  
  
    “You don’t have to be here, you know.”  
  
    “Yes, I do.  You and Alex are my friends.  I have to help in some way,” Winn objected.  
  
    “Doesn’t mean you have to complain about it every two seconds,” James snarked back as he kept his eyes on the trees in front of them.  
  
    “I’m not!”  
  
    “You kind of are,” J’onn at least sounded a little apologetic about agreeing with James and Kara.  “Every time you sigh, it’s obvious that you don’t think we should be out here.”  
  
    “I just don’t understand what we’re supposed to be accomplishing.  It’s not like we’ll be able to do something that Mon-el and the others can’t.”  
  
    “It’s not about that,” Kara explained as she leaned down to inspect what she thought might be a boot print.   “There was something wrong with Alex this morning.  I could tell by the look on her face.”  Kara stood and continued the way they had been going.  
  

     “Do you even know how to follow someone?” James asked, the skepticism hard to miss.  
  
    Kara shrugged and nodded her head a little as if tracking someone was the easiest thing in the world.  “My dad taught me when we were growing up.”  
  
    “Taught _you_?  Or he taught Alex and you were just there?”   
  
    “J’onn!”  Kara sounded offended.  “You don’t believe me?”  
  
    “It’s not that,” he was quick to assure.  “It’s just that…”  
  
    Kara’s eyes narrowed at him.  “It’s just what?”  
  
    “I’m pretty sure we’ve passed that tree a few times already,” he pointed to a large oak tree that had a trunk that split about halfway up.    
  
    James and Winn laughed at the sheepish expression that took over Kara’s previously smug face.  She turned away from them, most likely trying to hide the blush that was creeping up her neck and coloring her ears a light pink.  “Ok, fine.  He took us both out here to teach us, but I never really paid attention.  But really, how hard can it be?”  
  
    “I’d say pretty hard,” James shrugged.  
  
    “Wait.  Do you smell that?”  
    

     J’onn turned to look at Winn.  “Smell what?”  
    

     “Something’s burning,” Winn said as he tried to peer deeper into the forest.   
  
    James looked up above the canopy, hoping to see signs of a fire.  “There,” he pointed slightly to the right of the direction they had been heading.  A black cloud of smoke was starting to form just over the tops of the trees.    
  
    Kara’s face paled as she started hurrying in that direction.  J’onn reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to a halt.  “Wait. We don’t even know what’s over there.”  
  
    Kara struggled against his grip.  “That has to be where Alex is.  I would bet that they found the Witch.  That means that Alex is going to need help!”  
  
    “Mon-el took most of the men from the village with him this morning.  I’m sure they have everything under control.  We should be careful if we’re going to go over there,” James tried to ease the blonde’s mind.    
  
    “Yeah,” Winn agreed.  “I think its better if we have a plan before we just run in there, swinging at anything that moves.”  
  
    Kara was about to agree with her friends, but the distant sound of an explosion broke the silence.  All four of them whipped around to face that direction.  Echoes of screams were almost missed as a light breeze blew through the area.   
  
    “You all heard that, right?” Winn asked.  
  
    “Yeah, we heard it,” James confirmed, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.  
  
    Kara tossed an impatient look over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing slightly in challenge.  “Can we go now?”  
  
    J’onn nodded, his lips tightening into a thin line.  “Yes. We can go.  But we still need to be careful.”  
  
    “Fine,” Kara huffed as she turned and started making her way towards where the smoke was coming from.  She fought back the fear that was threatening to cloud her mind and force her to turn around.  She was terrified, that much was true.  And while she believed that the Witch wouldn’t hurt Alex, she couldn’t say the same about her husband.  
  
    There had always been something about Mon-el that had made her stomach churn in disgust.  But her mother had said that he was a good match for her.  He was an honorable man and would provide for her.  Kara’s life would be easy and she would be cared for, at least that’s what her mother had always said.    
  
    Kara herself wasn’t so sure about any of that.  Was he attractive?  She supposed so.  Would he provide for her?  Most likely, yes.  Was he honorable?  That’s where Kara’s mind drew the line.  It just wasn’t something that she believed.  Something just always felt off when she was around him.  
  
    Then he had shown up at her mother’s house this morning just as Alex was finishing explaining where she had been the last few days.  Kara had listened attentively to her sister, believing every word that Alex had said.  Especially when she explained that the Witch wouldn’t hurt her and had actually helped her.    
  
    Kara had been in the market when the Witch had shown up. She had seen how the Witch and her sister had interacted.  Even though they had never met, there was a familiarity between them.  There was an established level of trust there, a comfortability that was oddly intimate for two people who had never met and were already arguing with each other.  Kara had known even then that they were bonded on a level most couldn’t even fathom.  
  
    So she wasn’t out here because she feared what the Witch would do to her sister.  No, she was out here because she was terrified of what Mon-el, _her husband_ , would do to Alex and the Witch if given the chance.  If he attacked the Witch, there was no doubt in Kara’s mind that Alex would try to fight him to protect the other woman.  
  
    Kara picked up her pace as the screaming got louder.  They were still a decent way off, but now she could also hear the sounds of people running through the underbrush.  She paused long enough to see if she could spot them.  If she could pinpoint exactly where they were running from, she would be able to narrow their search area down.  
  
    They continued on until they ran into William, the fletcher’s son.  He was pale, sweating and the look in his eye spoke of horrors that he had witnessed.  Kara grabbed his arm and forced him to a stop.  His crazed eyes darted around the forest quickly before settling on Kara.  “We need to leave.  Now!  Hurry before she comes after us!”  
  
    He tried to pull away, but Kara held on.  “What is happening?  William, what did you see?”  
  
    He shoved at Kara until he broke her hold on him.  He then took off in the direction he had originally been heading.  “Just run!”  
  
    “William!  Wait!”  Kara watched him flee, the panic seizing her heart.  She had never seen someone look so scared.  She slowly turned back so she could see where he had come from.  Somehow it seemed more dangerous, more ominous now.  Kara took a deep breath to steady her nerves and then pushed on.  
  
    “Kara,” Winn hissed as she moved away.  “You can’t be serious.”  
  
    Winn groaned when James and J’onn followed Kara.  “Guys, this is a terrible idea.  You saw William.  Guys!  Come on,” he watched them get further away and then begrudgingly followed.  
  
    As they ventured further, the tension in the air became almost palpable.  There was something big happening just up ahead, the smell of smoke was becoming more pronounced and they could almost feel the air pulsing around them in an odd staccato pattern.    
  
    The noise reached a crescendo when a woman started screaming.  It was loud, it was desperate, it was close.    
  
    It was Alex.  
  
    Kara took off at a sprint.  There was no way that she was going to wait around while something was happening to her sister, especially if it was horrible enough to pull that horrid noise from her.    
  
    Alex’s scream turned even more frantic, near-feral with distress.  Then silence.  
  
    It was deafening.  Something that Kara had never really understood.  How can something silent seem so loud that it caused hearing loss?  This though… _this_ silence was somehow louder than Alex’s screams.  And it carried despair and agony in its undercurrent.    
  
    Kara burst through into what was now a clearing.  The trees that had once been healthy now stood burned in a circle, completely decimated at the epicenter and lessening in a burn pattern the further out they went.  There were also trees that had been toppled, the trunks split by something violent and brash in its carnage.  Nothing in the area was safe, everything carried the wounds of a vicious battle that had taken place.  
  
    The last tendrils of purple smoke evaporated into the now heavy air.  Kara desperately reached for them, hoping to catch the tail end of the transportation spell, but her fingers passed uselessly through.   
  
     James, J’onn and Winn joined her seconds later, spreading out to look for Alex.  Kara could feel them moving around her.  “She’s not here,” she whispered to no one in particular.   
  
    “Kara,” J’onn called to her carefully, the sympathy obvious in his voice.  
  
    The blonde turned to him and froze when she saw him standing near a crumpled form on the ground.  She forced herself to calm down.  She would have known if Alex was still here, that wasn’t her.  It couldn’t be her.    
  
    She cautiously approached but was stopped by J’onn before she could fully see who was laying there.  He reached up and grasped her shoulders.  “I am so sorry Kara,” he said softly as he pulled her into a hug.  
  
    Kara began shaking her head violently.  “It’s not her.  No, J’onn it’s not her.”  
  
    She let her friend pull her into his embrace.  She prepared herself for the worst and felt herself collapsing against J’onn in relief when she saw who was laying on the ground in front of her.  
  
    J’onn misinterpreted her need for support as he pulled her in tighter.  “I wish it hadn’t been him.  I am so sorry Kara.”  
  
    Kara buried her head in his shoulder, trying to hide the look she knew would be on her face.  After a few seconds, she couldn’t stop herself from biting her bottom lip and look up at the sky, saying a quick thank you to the gods that it was Mon-el and not Alex that was laying there dead.  She knew that she would have to unpack the fact that she felt absolutely no grief or heartbreak seeing her husband lying there.  But that could happen later, once they got Alex back safely.  She carefully pulled away from J’onn and kneeled down next to Mon-el’s body.  
  
    She kissed her fingertips and then placed them on his forehead.  As much as she did not like being married to him, he was still a person and had been a major part of her life for a while.  “Go now blessed child, your ship is ready upon the hill.  Sail strong and true, to the Valley where the gods wait for you. May you find peace upon that shore, and feel this pain no more.”  
  
    Kara let the prayer hang in the air between her and her husband’s body for a few seconds before she stood and sighed.  She turned back to J’onn and immediately wanted to grimace.  The pity that was on his face was almost too much to bear.    
      
    Instead of commenting on it, she looked around the rest of the clearing.  “It looks like the Witch took Alex somewhere.  We just don’t know where or why,” she said aloud, more to herself than to anyone else.    
  
    “Umm, Kara?”        
      
    She turned and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at James and Winn standing by a tree about thirty feet away.  The Witch had obviously left with Alex, and Mon-el seemed to be the only casualty of whatever happened here.  That they had found something else didn’t make sense.    
  
    “What is it?” she asked as she walked towards them.  
  
    James and Winn moved away from another form lying prone on the ground.  “The Witch didn’t take Alex,” James tried to explain.  
  
    Kara gasped as she jogged over to them and stopped when she saw that they were, in fact, standing over the Witch that had burst into the market a few days ago.  She immediately knelt down and placed her hand near the brunette’s mouth and nose.  “She’s still breathing,” Kara confirmed after a few long seconds.    
  
    “Not for long,” James declared as he drew his sword from its sheath.    
  
    “No!” Kara was on her feet in a heartbeat, her hand immediately landing on his forearm and pushing his sword away.    
  
    “Why not?” Winn asked, sounding almost petulant.  
  
    “She’s evil,” James argued.  
  
    “She’s not!” Kara snapped at them.  “She saved Alex when William shot her in the market.  She’s here and unconscious, which means _someone else_ took Alex.”  
  
    “Kara,” J’onn tried to reason, his hands up to waist height with his palms facing her, his face imploring.    
  
    “No.  We need her alive.   She may know where Alex is,” Kara argued.  
  
    “I refuse to work with a witch.”  
  
    Kara narrowed her eyes at James.  “Then you can leave.  Take Mon-el’s body back to the village.”  
  
    The two of them became locked in a silent staring match, an argument happening with nothing but emotions flowing freely through their eyes.  
  
    James finally sighed and put his sword back in his sheath.  “Fine.  I’ll take his body back for you.  But I don’t like this.”  
  
    Kara shrugged.  “You don’t have to.  If you want to leave, you’re more than welcome to.  I won’t blame you.”  
  
    Winn didn’t hesitate to go stand next to James, making his decision perfectly clear.  J’onn took another couple of seconds before he nodded his head.  “I’ll stay, but I don’t like the idea of trusting her.”  
  
    Kara sat down next to the Witch and gently pulled her head into lap so the woman was more comfortable.  “You don’t have to trust her.  I’m just asking that you trust me.  Trust _Alex_.”  
  
    J’onn nodded once more and then sat down next to Kara.  It looked like they were stuck until the Witch woke up.  He looked up at James and Winn who looked nervous at the idea of leaving them there with the Witch.  
  
    “We’ll be fine,” J’onn assured them.  “Go.  Take Mon-el home.  Regardless of how we all felt about him, he deserves a proper burial.”  
  
    James and Winn smiled sadly and turned to pick up Mon-el’s body.  They left without saying a word knowing they couldn’t convince those two once their minds were made up.  
  
  
     
  
  
    Alex first became aware of a distant chanting that was happening around her.  It was distorted and hard to discern exactly what was being said, but it was loud enough that it was making sleeping difficult.  
  
     _Sleeping?_ Alex wondered briefly.  _When did I go to sleep?  And why am I sitting up?_  
  
    She tried to readjust herself but found that she couldn’t move.  Something bit into her wrists and biceps, a burning and slight tearing happening with every movement.  She tried to focus on what exactly was holding her in place, but for some reason her mind was foggy.  
  
    She coughed and forced her eyes open.  She blinked a few times and waited until they focused on her dirty trousers in front of her.  It took another few seconds before her mind caught up to what she was seeing and she realized she was sitting with her legs straight out in front of her.    
  
    Her eyes shifted further up and she noticed there was a rope around her chest and upper arms.  Once her brain registered that it was in fact rope holding her in place, she could feel the fibers of the rough bindings around her wrists as well.    
  
    Taking another second to look around the area, she realized that she was tied to a stone pillar in the middle of a large cavern.  The area around her was dark and rather damp, the air heavy with moisture that smelled old and stale.  Where she was sitting was being lit by several torches that flickered and cast just enough light for her to be able to see Lena’s mother standing in front of a stone alter about twenty feet in front of her.   
  
    Lillian had her back to Alex, and the woman was chanting and waving her hands over a bowl that looked to be made out of bone.  A dark red liquid was dripping over the sides of the bowl and as it hit the alter it bubbled, emitting a faint sizzling sound and the pungent smell of burning meat.    
  
    Alex struggled against the ropes that held her in place.  Everything on her hurt and her wrists screamed in protest as she strained against the bindings.  She kept her eyes on Lillian as she tried to pull the ropes free from the pillar.    
  
    She had no idea what Lillian had planned but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.  She was pretty sure that whatever was in that bowl was mixed with blood.  And while her knowledge of magic was pretty slim, the thought of blood magic being performed made her insides crawl in disgust and fear.    
  
    She had to get out of there, and it had to be soon.  Plus she had to go back and check on Lena.  Seeing the younger witch fly across the clearing and remain still on the ground would be forever seared in Alex’s memory.  She had to get back there and make sure Lena was ok.  _She had to be_.  
  
    “I don’t know why you’re struggling so.  I enchanted those ropes.  The only thing that will free you is me.”  
  
    Alex froze and glared at Lillian’s back.  “Go to hell.”  
  
    Lillian chuckled, a hollow empty sound.  “I can see why Lena is so smitten with you.  You are definitely full of fire.”  
  
    “Let me out of these ropes and I’ll show you how full of fire I am.”  
  
    Lillian turned to look at her captive, the bowl in her hands.  “Not too bright though, are we?  Hmmm, disappointing.  I thought my daughter would have had better taste.”  
  
    Alex tried to lunge at the older witch, the ropes snapping against her chest and holding her in place.  “You don’t get to talk about her.”  
  
    Lillian’s face contorted into amused confusion as her head cocked to the side.  “You presume to tell me what I can and cannot do?  Look around you, child.  You are in no position to tell me anything.”  
  
    She smirked as she stalked towards Alex.  “She is my daughter.  I will speak about her _whenever_ and _however_ I please.  And right now, I am beyond disappointed in her choice of pet, and disgusted that she thought she could stand up to me.  It was beyond time she learn her place.”  
  
    Stopping right in front of Alex, Lillian crouched down so she was face to face with her.  “My only regret with how I handled her insolence is that she did not live long enough to see my plan put into action.”  
  
     “Fuck you!” Alex roared as she thrashed against the ropes.  When it became obvious that she wasn’t going to be able to strike the witch, she tried to kick her.    
  
    Lillian simply laughed as she shot her hand out and shoved Alex back against the pillar, her hand staying up and holding her in place.  Alex struggled a little longer before she became tired and settled back against the rock holding her up.  
  
    “If you are quite finished acting like a child, we can begin.”  
  
    Alex’s only response was to spit in Lillian’s face.   
  
    Lillian merely blinked, unamused.  It was obvious she was disappointed with how Alex was handling the situation.  Her hand slowly raised to wipe the spit off of her brow and then wiped it on Alex’s tunic.  “I was going to make this rather painless because I actually need you to be able to function for this plan to work.  But now I’m willing to wait until the pain recedes in order for you to learn a lesson.”  
  
    Alex’s jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed in defiance.  Lillian shook her head and laughed.  “You really _are_ something.  This is going to be more fun than I originally thought.”  
  
    Lillian then dipped her thumb into the bowl, coating the digit in the red liquid.  Her face contorted in a repulsive way, her eyes flashing dangerously.  Alex tried to recoil from the woman that was crouching in front of her now.  It was obvious that she had only one thing on her mind: to do something heinous and depraved, something that would shatter the last bit of fight Alex had within her.  
  
    Lillian chanted in a language that Alex had never heard before and began tracing several of Alex’s markings, starting with the ones on her neck.  The liquid was revolting.  It was thick, cold and gelatinous.  It clung to her skin in such a way that it made Alex shutter as she tried to get it off.  
  
    Lillian finished tracing the markings that were visible on Alex’s arms.  She smirked as she brought her thumb up and drew one final design on Alex’s forehead.  The smell alone was making Alex want to throw up.  It smelled like rotting meat as if someone hadn’t cleaned a kill properly before they hung it in the sun to dry before putting it on a spit.  The stench was suffocating, slowly creeping over her like a shroud and becoming the only thing she was aware of.  
  
    Alex wretched.  The smell was becoming a taste that was dragging its way down her throat.  She tried to throw it back up, hoping to catch a breath of fresh air.  
  
    Lillian walked back over to the altar and lit a bundle of herbs as Alex continued to dry heave, the ropes not allowing her to double over like she wanted to.  “I would apologize for what I’m about to do, but this has been a long time coming and its about time _your kind_ gives me what I deserve.”  
  
    She walked back over to Alex, split the bundle of herbs into two and placed one on the top of the pillar and the other at her feet.  Then she took a few steps back and began waving her hands in front of Alex, a new incantation being spoken into existence.   
  
    The smell became the least of Alex’s worries as a blinding pain seared into her skin.  It was similar to the feeling that came with taking the curses on the first time.  Except this was as if they were being burned into her skin with boiling acid.  It felt like her skin was melting off her wherever the markings were.   
  
    Alex screamed, her throat becoming raw and feeling like it was ripping itself open.  She slammed her head back against the stone pillar a few times, her body jerking involuntarily, trying desperately to get away from the pain that was consuming her.    
  
    Her consciousness finally gave out as the pain got to be too much and she slumped against the ropes.  Her markings flared to bright red as the liquid was absorbed into her skin.  
  
  
     
  
  
     _Pain._  
  
    That was the first thing that Lena became aware of.  All-encompassing pain that was pulsing at her ribs and radiating to the rest of her body.    
  
    The second thing she noticed was the gentle movement of fingers through her hair.  She groaned and tried to focus on that, hoping the soothing gesture would help pull her out of the darkness.  
  
    “Alex?” She mumbled.  
  
    The fingers in her hair stopped and the person that was holding her sighed.  “Can you open your eyes for me?”  
  
   _That is definitely not Alex_ , Lena thought to herself.  She wanted to panic, but there was something just as comforting and grounding about this person.  It wasn’t Alex, but it felt pretty fucking close.    
  
    Lena grunted, forcing her eyes to open only to have them slam shut again as the bright sunlight she was staring into blinded her.  “Shit,” she hissed as she rolled onto her side and tried opening them again.    
  
    It took a few seconds for them to adjust so she could see the dirt of the forest floor.  The whole time the person holding her remained steady, her hand now rubbing up and down Lena’s back.    
  
    “How are you feeling?”  
  
    Lena flopped ungracefully onto her stomach and struggled to push herself onto her hands and knees.  A hand reached out, grabbed her forearm and gently tugged her up onto her knees.  
  
    Lena’s reaction was visceral.  Her hand whipped out and slammed a knock back spell into the person holding onto her.  The force of the movement knocked Lena back onto her ass.  She quickly tried to scramble away from whoever she had just shoved away.  
  
    “Easy.  It’s okay.  You’re okay.”  
  
    The female voice was back and it was strangely reassuring.  It was as if Lena should know it like the cadence was similar.  Her green eyes snapped up to the blonde woman who was kneeling a few feet away from her, her hand up and reaching in a consoling manner.  The kindness and compassion poured off of her in waves.  
  
    “Who are you?”  
  
    The slight smile on the blonde’s face fell into a sad upturn of her lips.  “I’m Kara, Alex’s sister.”  
  
    “Where is she?”  
  
    “We were hoping you could tell us,” the man that Lena had attacked spoke up from where he was getting to his feet a few feet away.   
  
    This time fear shifted to panic that was starting to grip Lena’s lungs.  “You don’t know?”  
  
    Kara shook her head slightly.  “By the time we got here, whoever took her had teleported out.”  
  
    Lena cursed as she struggled to her feet.  “I need to go.”  
  
    “You need to take a breath,” Kara argued as she shot to her feet and reached out to steady Lena when she floundered.  
  
    Lena shook her head.  “My mother has her,” she grimaced and held her ribs.  “I don’t know what she has planned, but it isn’t good.”  
  
    “Okay,” Kara soothed.  “We’ll go in a second.  Right now you need to sit down and rest.”  
  
    “No.”  
  
    “You won’t be any good to Alex if you’re hurt,” J'onn tried to reason.  
  
    Lena glared at J’onn.  “Who the hell are you?”  
  
    “I’m J’onn, Alex’s best friend.  Who the hell are you?”  
  
    Lena tried to rub the pain from her ribs.  “Lena.  Now that the introductions are done, get out of my way so I can go save Alex.”  
  
    “We can help,” Kara protested as she followed behind where Lena started staggering further into the forest.   
  
    “You’ll only get in my way.”  
  
    J’onn tried to choke back his scoff as Lena stumbled into a tree, her hand grabbing at it to hold herself upright.  “Look, lady, I don’t like you and I sure as hell don’t trust you.  But Alex is like my sister, so I’m going with you.”  
  
    Lena’s head hung down in defeat.  “I can’t have anyone else get hurt.  Not because of my mother, and not at my expense.  Especially not Alex’s sister and best friend.”  
  
    Kara’s hand settled reassuringly on Lena’s shoulder.  “We’ll be okay.  Please, let us help you.”  
  
    Lena sighed.  “You’re just going to follow me anyway, aren’t you?”  
  
    Kara laughed slightly.  “Most likely.”  
  
    Lena side eyed the younger woman.  “You’re just like her.  Stubborn to the point of stupidity.”  
  
    Kara’s light laughter turned into a chuckle.  “It runs in the family.”  
  
    “Come on then,” Lena relented as she pushed off the tree and started to make her way through the forest.  “If we’re going to find Alex, we need to stop at my cottage first.  I need some things, and a healing potion or two.”  
  
    Kara fell in step next to Lena, ready to provide assistance if the witch stumbled again.  The group fell silent as they made their way through the trees, each of them thinking about what was to come.    
  
    Lena knew whatever her mother had planned would be horrific.  That was Lillian Luthor.  She didn’t have a single good bone in her body.   She only wanted power, and to cause as much destruction as she could in her quest for it.  It was the main reason that Lena had moved away from her mother as soon as she could.  All Lena wanted was to live in peace and quiet, and Lillian made it known constantly that _that_ would not be accepted.  
  
    Lena vowed right then and there that no matter what, she would put a stop to her mother and rescue Alex.  Even if it meant that this was Lena’s last day.    
  
    That was a sacrifice she was willing to make to stop her mother.  People, in general, may not be worth it, especially if the villagers today were anything to go by.  But she wouldn’t be doing it for them.  She was doing it for Alex.  Sweet, caring, courageous Alex.  Alex who changed everything Lena thought she knew about love.  Alex who made the last few days the best of Lena’s life.   
  
    So no, the villagers may not be worth it.  But Alex was.  
  
    Alex would always be worth the sacrifice.    
  
   


	10. Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena accepts help from Kara. Lillian continues to be evil. Alex tries to escape. And of course, nothing really goes according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have the best readers in the world. You all spoil me too much and I wouldn't trade this AgentCorp fandom for the world.
> 
> Onto a more serious note: I know this one doesn't move as quickly as some of you would like. I know I promised a resolution soon, but I felt it necessary to build up the tension a little more. Besides, who doesn't enjoy some decent angst. I promise that it will all be worth it in the end though.
> 
>  
> 
> ______________

Alex groaned as she was jostled slightly side to side.Her head felt like it was splitting open, her brain like it was melting and leaking out her eyes.Every pulse of her heartbeat echoed loudly between her ears, sending shockwaves from the front of her head to the back.She reached her hands up to rub at her eyes, hoping to relieve some of the pressure that was building there.

 

She stopped though and forced her eyes open.Something didn’t feel right with her hands and she couldn’t quite place what it was.“What the fuck?” she mumbled to herself when she saw that her wrists were bound with rope.

 

Blinking, she moved her attention from her wrists to the rickety cart she was sitting in, her back up against the front of it, her legs splayed out in front of her and pointing to the back.She moved her head from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of something familiar. 

 

The cart was still moving through the forest, but it was now on an old path that looked like it hadn’t been used in years.The disrepair of the road was obvious with every bounce of the cart over the uneven ground. 

 

Alex groaned again as the front right wheel hit a rather large hole, the resulting bump so big that it actually made Alex jump in the air.She crashed back down, her back smacking against the front piece of the cart. 

 

“Ah, you’re awake.Good.I needed you conscious for the next part.”

 

Alex turned to face Lillian, who was driving the cart, her hands grasping a set of reins.Where Lillian had gotten a horse, Alex didn’t know or care to think about.For all she knew, it was a villager that had been turned into a horse for this trip.And that was something Alex didn’t want to think too hard on, especially with her head pounding the way it was.

 

“Where…” Alex tried to swallow.Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt too big for hermouth.She cleared her throat and tried again.“Where are we going?”

 

“Patience,” Lillian smirked.“Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

 

Alex’s head lolled to the side.The longer she was awake, the more the pain she was in was becoming noticeable.She was exhausted in a way that she had never been before.It was difficult to even hold her head upright.It was like she was beyond drunk, but her mind was clear of any impairment. 

 

“What did you do to me?” Alex winced at the way her words were slurring together. 

 

“All in due time, sweetness.”

 

Alex groaned again as her head fell back to rest on the panel to the front of the cart.She looked up at the sky to keep herself from throwing up as the cart rattled further down the road. 

 

Lillian smiled almost fondly as she reached back and gently ran her hand through Alex’s hair.“You are more precious than I could have ever imagined.This will be so much better than what I had planned for you all those years ago.”

 

Alex lurched away from the touch, sending herself sprawling sideways.The way Lillian’s touch had been almost motherly was mocking her in every way possible.Taking a few deep breaths to stop herself from hurling at the sudden shift in equilibrium, Alex tried to focus her mind on one thing at a time.The first step was to get out of these ropes. 

 

There was no doubt in her mind that even if she managed to get off of the cart, her legs wouldn’t be stable enough to move fast enough to flee.She would need her hands in order to fight the first chance she got. 

 

She scanned the cart for anything she could use and almost smiled when she saw a nail sticking out of one of the boards on the side.Alex pulled herself towards it, trying not to draw attention to herself as she moved.The last thing she needed was Lillian figuring out what she was planning. 

 

It took a few minutes, but Alex was finally next to it. She angled herself so her body was between the nail and Lillian, making sure to hide her intentions from the Witch’s view.Smiling to herself, Alex began pulling at the piece of metal, praying to whatever deity was listening that it would come out relatively easy.

 

 

 

 

 

“Will you slow down and tell me what it is you’re looking for?” Kara asked as Lena picked up another pouch, opened it, sniffed at it and then tossed it aside. She had been doing this for a few minutes, seemingly separating different things into two piles.One was on a table in the middle of the room and the other was… well, it wasn’t on the table, that was for sure.

 

Lena simply grunted in acknowledgment that someone had spoken, but didn’t say anything else as she reached into a basket and pulled out a bundle of herbs.She plucked a leaf, rubbed it between her fingers and smelled that too.Nodding to herself, she dropped that on the table as well.

 

J’onn sighed from where he was sitting on a chair nearby.His sword was out, and he was mindlessly rubbing a cloth over the blade.Kara could tell it was a way to expend some of the anxious energy that was thrumming through each of them.

 

Kara rolled her eyes and stepped forward.They would be here forever if Lena kept trying to do whatever it was she was doing on her own.She reached out and gently placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder, ignoring the flinch she felt under her fingers.“Seriously Lena, this would go faster if you let us help.What do you need?”

 

Lena paused when she felt the contact on her shoulder and looked up into blue eyes, eyes that were so similar to Alex’s.She sighed and hung her head.“Can you start a fire, and then fetch some water from the well outside?”

 

J’onn nodded to himself, grabbed a bucket that was next to the chair and stood.He sent a quick look at Kara, showing his impatience before he turned and left the cottage.Kara tried to smile reassuringly at her friend, but she wasn’t feeling too confident herself. 

 

Lena pulled away from Kara and turned back to the shelves of ingredients as Kara turned and started building a fire in the hearth.Lena hated admitting that she needed help, but the potion she needed would take at least an hour to brew.So accepting help from Kara and her friend was the most logical course of action.

 

Lost in her musings, Lena didn’t realize how high she was trying to reach on the shelf until her ribs protested rather loudly at the movement.She winced, hissing a breath of air out from between her teeth. She tried to ignore the look of concern Kara threw her way as she doubled over, her arms wrapped protectively around her midsection.

 

Kara silently moved the chair over to Lena, placed her hand on the woman’s shoulder and gently guided her into the chair.“Just tell me what you need.”

 

Lena didn’t argue as she all but collapsed into the seat.She fought to take a few breaths before pointing up with her right hand at the pouch she was trying to reach.“The feverfew.It’s that one all the way to the right.”

 

Kara easily pulled the pouch down, handed it to Lena and then went back to light the fire.Lena took the pouch without a word, her eyes tracking Kara’s every movement carefully.She sighed and began playing with the cord that was holding the pouch closed.“Why aren’t you scared of me?”

 

For her part, Kara didn’t physically acknowledge the fact that Lena had asked the question.She kept her attention focused on stoking the fire until it had grown to a decent size.She tossed another log on for good measure.“Who says I’m not?”

 

The question was quiet, vulnerable, genuine.It was almost as if Kara was confronting Lena’s question for the first time like she hadn’t stopped long enough to consider it herself. 

 

Lena sighed and looked up at Kara’s back.“You’re not.Someone who is scared of mewouldn’t be so tactile.They would shy away from being in my space like your friend does. You don’t.”Lena squinted at the other woman as if she could read her if she focused hard enough.“You’re quick to reach out and help me.You didn’t hesitate to steady me when I stumbled earlier.”

 

Kara shrugged, finally turning to face the Witch.“Alex cares for you.She trusts you, believes in you.That’s enough for me.”

 

“Just like that?”The surprise was obvious on Lena’s face. 

 

“Well yeah,” Kara shrugged as she pushed the table so it was closer to Lena, giving the other woman the ability to start sorting through the ingredients there.“I saw the way you two interacted in the market.The way you two look at each other… there’s nothing but trust there. And it’s obvious that it’s been there for a while.”

 

Lena looked at the blonde, her eyes full of confusion and hope.“Really?”

 

Kara pushed the metal pot closer to Lena.She nodded and shrugged a shoulder in affirmation as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.“Plus, I saw the look on your face when she got shot with the arrow.You were terrified.Then you took her with you to save her, and that’s enough for me.”

 

Lena regarded the younger woman for a moment and then nodded.“Okay.Now can you get the book that’s on the small table next to the bed.”

 

Kara turned, grabbed the book and tried to hand it over.Lena merely waved her hand at the blonde.“Open it to the page with the healing potion on it.Start reading me the ingredients.”

 

It took a few moments to flip through the book to find the proper page.A silence settled between the two women, allowing them a minute to get their emotions back under control.Lena didn’t know if Kara hated being vulnerable like she did, but she needed some time to wrestle everything back under control. 

 

Kara stopped flipping the pages, hummed to herself and then put the book on the table just as J’onn came back in with the bucket of water.Lena nodded to the two of them.“Okay, let’s get this thing made so we can go get Alex back.”

 

 

 

 

 

Alex tried to blink the sweat out of her eyes as she continued to work the nail free from the board.She didn’t want to stop in order to wipe at her eyes.She was so close to wresting it out that she feared any pause would lead to her discovery.She gritted her teeth and gave one final tug, smiling to herself when it popped loose.

 

She quickly curled her hand around it as the cart came to a stop. She wiggled herself over to the side of the cart and tossed her elbow up on the bench behind her.Using her arm as leverage, she was able to push herself into a sitting position.She used the movement to hide the fact that she was placing the nail between the waistband of her trousers and her skin.She didn’t want to be caught with it and lose her only weapon. 

 

Fear settled deep in her stomach when she realized that they were now about a mile away from the castle.For the first time in all of her years, Alex hated living so close to the center of the kingdom, so close to the royal family. 

 

Usually, it took a day or two to travel to the castle, but Lillian’s cave must have been a lot closer than Alex’s village was.If the sun’s position was anything to go by, she hadn’t been unconscious for that long, which meant that they hadn’t been on the road too long. 

 

She pivoted her attention to Lillian as the older woman stopped at the rear of the cart and reached forward towards Alex’s foot.Alex cursed as she kicked out, hoping to catch the witch’s hand.She would’ve aimed for her face, but Lillian had obviously been prepared for that and kept most of her body away from Alex.

 

A taunting smile spread across Lillian’s face, causing the fear in Alex’s stomach to double in intensity.She kicked out again, this time frantically and panicked.That expression meant nothing good, of that Alex was sure. 

 

She needed to get away.Now.

 

Lillian managed to grab ahold of Alex’s boot and gave a tug.Alex lurched forward and barely managed to tuck her chin to soften the blow to the back of her head as she landed roughly on her back. 

 

As Lillian pulled her towards the back of the cart, Alex tossed a look down at the woman, gauging the distance.Once Lillian reached out to grab her other boot, Alex threw all her weight behind the kick she sent towards Lillian’s shoulder. 

 

This one caught the witch off guard and sent her stumbling back a few steps.Alex took advantage of the gap between them, slid onto her feet and threw her body at the older woman.

 

Lillian grunted in discomfort as the full weight of Alex’s body slammed into her chest.She stumbled back, her foot catching on a rock that sent her sprawling to the ground.Alex pivoted to her right and immediately started running as fast as she could into the forest.

 

Alex tried to stop the triumphant smile from spreading across her face.She needed to focus.She wasn’t free yet, there was still a lot of distance she needed to put between her and Lillian.

 

All thought was abruptly stopped as Alex’s legs seized up and refused to move.She pitched forward as the momentum continued even as her legs didn’t.She tucked her arms close to her chest to prevent them from breaking her fall.She could deal with the breath being knocked from her.She couldn’t fight back if her arms were broken. 

 

Her breath, predictably, left her as soon as her abdomen made contact with dirt.As she coughed, she turned to glare at Lillian, who was laying on her back, her torso lifted slightly off the ground.Her hand was stretched out towards Alex, a look of pure hatred on her face. 

 

“Fuck you,” Alex spat out.

 

Lillian’s eyes flashed dangerously, and Alex gulped.Maybe provoking the already angry witch wasn’t the best idea she ever had.She turned and tried to crawl away, willing her limbs to move faster as she heard Lillian get to her feet.

 

Alex froze as something leaned heavily on her back.When she tried to dislodge it, it stayed resolute, pushing her harder into the ground.She grunted and began to fight harder.

 

Lillian’s chuckle did nothing to ease the panic that was still growing inside Alex.The witch approached slowly, gracefully, her hand still stretched out towards the brunette. 

 

Then her fist closed, and it felt like a large fist was closing around Alex’s torso.

 

Alex continued to struggle against the force as she was pulled upright and held a few inches off the ground.She remained there until Lillian was standing right in front of her.

 

The witch smiled, sending a shiver of revulsion through Alex’s body.She tried to pull away as Lillian leaned in so their faces were inches apart.

 

“I wish I had more time to play with you.I think I would have enjoyed that very much.”

 

She reached out and slid a finger slowly down Alex’s cheek and jaw, tracing it until she reached her chin.“Yes, I would have enjoyed that immensely.”

 

She pivoted on her heel and started walking back towards the road, pulling Alex along behind her.“Alas, my plan is long overdue and time is now of the essence.”

 

Alex sighed loudly.“Can you just get on with it then.All of this cryptic bullshit is exhausting.”

 

“Very amusing dear.It’s a shame that false bravado won’t help you where you’re going.”

 

“And where is that?”Alex asked as her body came to a stop at the back of the cart.

 

Lillian merely pointed at the castle.“Why in there, of course.”

 

Alex took in the castle in front of them.Whatever it was that Lillian had planned involved the people of the royal house and maybe even the innocent people living within its walls.She narrowed her eyes and turned her attention back to Lillian.“To what end?”

 

Lillian smiled wickedly, the pure amusement on her lips didn’t reach her eyes that remained dangerous and predatory.“To remind them who the superior race is.To make them respect and worship us as we deserve.”

 

With that, she tapped her finger on Alex’s forehead, once, decisively. 

 

Alex felt her body go slack.She no longer had control over anything.She desperately tried to wiggle her fingers or toes, but nothing was responding to her commands.

 

“What did you do to me?” she demanded.

 

“That’s enough of that as well,” Lillian waved her hand at Alex as she turned back to face the castle. 

 

Alex tried to speak up, but her mouth refused to move as well.

 

Lillian threw a look over her shoulder to bask in the look of fear that settled on Alex’s face as her jaws snapped shut.“Delightful!” she clapped her hands once and then started walking towards the castle.She beckoned at Alex with a crook of her finger.“If we hurry we can probably catch most of the citizens at the market.”

Alex tried to yell at her, curse at her… anything to slow them down so Lena could hopefully find them in time.The despair settled deep when she realized there was literally nothing she could do as her feet automatically followed behind Lillian as they made their way towards the castle. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lena didn’t even blink as they stepped out of the teleportation spell.She had her gaze focused on the cave entrance in front of her instead.Kara and J’onn weren’t so lucky, however.They both doubled over and tried to maintain their balance as the world tilted around them.

 

Lena gave them a few seconds to regain their balance while she scanned the surrounding forest.She wasn’t sure what she was expecting exactly, but this eerie silence wasn’t it.She took a steadying breath and tried to quiet her mind. _Something_ was off, she just couldn’t figure out what. 

 

Then she felt it.The air seemed dirty and heavy, polluted.Some heavy magic had been cast here recently, and it had her mother’s signature written all over it.

 

She turned to the two villagers, struggling to suppress the eye roll at seeing them still hunched over.“Stay here.My mother may still be in there, and you’ll just get in my way.”

 

J’onn simply waved his hand above his head in acknowledgment.Kara, however, looked up and studied Lena for a second.“You okay to do this?”

 

“Don’t have a choice,” was Lena’s distracted response as her eyes narrowed in confusion at the mouth of the cave.It had been a long time since she had been back here, the memories from all of her “lessons” sent a shiver down her spine.

 

“Not what I meant,” Kara wheezed as she put her hands back on her knees. 

 

Normally the teleportation spell wouldn’t have had such a drastic effect on a person.But they had traveled quite a distance and it was their first attempt at magical transportation.So Lena bit back her comment as she turned to make sure they weren’t about to pass out.

 

“If you’re asking about my injuries, I’m fine. That potion will last a few hours before it starts to wear off.”

 

Kara nodded, took a deep breath and then stood up.Lena was slightly impressed when the woman didn’t pass out even though her face paled even more if that was possible.“Okay,” she nodded.“I’m ready.Let’s go.”

 

Mild irritation and exasperation flew through Lena, and she just barely managed to bite it back.“No.You two stay here.I have no idea what my mother has planned, and I don't want to lead you two into a trap.”

 

Kara thought about it for a second before she nodded.“Fine.You go in first, we’ll give you a few minutes and then sneak in behind you.”

 

Lena’s eyes narrowed at the defiance the blonde was so openly displaying.She was apparently willing to march in there and face the strongest witch Lena had ever met with nothing but the dagger strapped to her thigh.

 

Lena shook her head when she realized she wouldn’t be able to dissuade the younger Danvers.“Stubborn to the point of stupidity,” she grumbled under her breath.

 

“Fine,” she sighed and then pointed at Kara first, then J’onn.“Give me five minutes, then sneak in and get Alex the hell out of there.Then run and don’t look back.”

 

“But—“ 

 

“No buts, Kara.You get Alex out of there and then you leave.I can’t defeat my mother if I’m worried about you three.”

 

A war was being waged in Kara’s eyes as she mulled over her options.Her shoulders finally slumped in defeat.“Deal.Alex is going to hate you for it though.”

 

Lena shrugged as she turned back to the cave.“At least she’ll be alive to hate me.”

 

With that, she made her way to the entrance to her mother’s lair, pretending she didn’t hear Kara’s mumbled “the question is, will you?” that barely reached her ears.She pushed the dread that question carried with it to the back of her mind and then took one final breath before she walked into the unknown. 

 

The pathway that lead to the deeper caverns was worn and damp.The air was just as heavy and humid as Lena remembered, and the memories it brought with it made her stomach roil in disgust.She took her time, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness that was creeping in the further down she went.The last thing she needed was to have to use a light spell, giving away her location before she even made it to the main chamber.

 

She let her feet guide her to where she knew her mother did most of her rituals.And after what felt like an eternity, she stopped at the final turn that would lead her down a short path before it opened up into the larger chamber.Lena closed her eyes for a second and steadied herself.This was not going to be easy, and the last thing she needed was to go in with her emotions running all over the place. 

 

She took one final breath and then turned the corner and crept into the room.Her eyes scanned the area quickly and she felt her shoulders drop when she realized that it was empty.She was too late.And judging by the candles that had burned down to their base, she had missed them by a few hours. 

 

“Alex,” she whimpered into the dimly lit area.It wasn’t something she had meant to say out loud, but the pain was too real that the desperation slipped out without her consent. 

 

“Where are they?” 

 

Kara’s voice broke the silence so abruptly that Lena jumped slightly.“Fuck!” she swore as her hand flew to her chest in surprise.

 

“Sorry,” Kara murmured, her hand settling on Lena’s shoulder in comfort. 

 

Lena shrugged out of the touch and approached the altar in the middle of the cavern.“It’s fine,” she said almost distractedly as she reached out and picked up the bowl that was discarded on the stone platform.She brought it up to her nose and sniffed it.

 

The smell was intense and appalling.It carried several overpowering herbs, but none of those could cover the stench of decomposing flesh and putrid, coagulated blood.Lena recoiled and dropped the bowl immediately. 

 

Her green eyes stared at the bowl in disgust.She finally pulled her attention to the stone pillar a few feet away.She approached it carefully, already aware of what she would find inscribed there. 

 

The runes she had been afraid of finding were inscribed there.They were inlaid with either coal or dark paint, providing a stark contrast against the paleness of the stone.Lena sighed and let her head drop.She knew that her mother was depraved, but this plan went beyond insane. 

 

J’onn was the one to approach her this time.“What is all of this?”

 

“Blood magic,” Lena sighed without turning to look at the man. 

 

“Okay.What does that mean?”Kara had moved to join them.

 

This time Lena did face the two humans.She needed to look them in the eye when she told them exactly what all of this meant.She needed them to see how serious this situation was, how life threatening it was not only for Alex but for everyone involved.

 

She exhaled once, decisively, loudly.“It means she used Alex’s ability to absorb my curses against her and infused them with one of her own.”

 

“What does that mean exactly?” J’onn asked, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.

 

“In the simplest way I can explain it, she turned Alex into a weapon.And not just any weapon… if she succeeds, it will be catastrophic and devastating.No one will survive it.”

 

Kara gasped while J’onn staggered back a step or two.

 

“Do… do you know where?” Kara’s voice wavered over the question, breaking slightly in her fear.

 

“She took her to the castle,” Lena’s eyes slid closed.She didn’t want to see their reactions when she delivered the final blow. 

 

“She’s going to make Alex kill the King, and most likely level the castle with everyone trapped inside it.”

 

 


	11. Kneel Before Your King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are coming to a head inside the King's castle. Lillian's plan is almost complete. Lena and company finish their romp through the woods. And Alex just wants to curse out loud and hit something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 5000 hits, are you guys serious?? I could have never imagined this kind of response to this story and I am beyond grateful to you for your support. I do owe you an apology though for missing the update last week. Work got a little ahead of me and I am terrible with time management. So the result is, unfortunately, a late update. I promise to get back on track with my weekly updates, lord knows you all deserve it for your all the love you've shown me.
> 
>  
> 
> xxxxxxxxxx

Lena stumbled out of the purple mist that had briefly filled the forest around them.She allowed her hands to fall to her knees in an attempt to steady herself.Traveling over such long distances in short periods of time was not easy on the mind, no matter how often she traveled this way.She shook her head a few times and forced the world back into focus. 

 

Kara and J’onn retched behind her.

 

She turned to face them, her hand settling on Kara’s lower back while the younger woman struggled to regain her composure.“I wish I could tell you that it got easier over time.But it doesn’t.Just breathe.”

 

J’onn struggled to his feet from where he had been kneeling on the road.His hand settled on the pommel of his sword, tightening on the grip to fight back the second wave of nausea that hit.He grit his teeth and pointed at the cart that was abandoned on the side of the road to their left. 

 

Lena moved away from Kara once the blonde was standing upright again.She knew before she even approached that it was the one her mother had used to bring Alex here.Her hand drew a simple pattern in the air above the back of the cart as she muttered some arcane words, and all eyes were suddenly drawn to two colored sets of footprints that were leading away from them and towards the castle. 

 

Lena crouched down and inspected the two trails, her brow furrowing at the complex sequence of movement that was playing out before her.It was obvious that the red line was Alex and the black line was Lillian.What wasn’t so obvious was what had happened here once the cart had stopped. 

 

Both sets of footprints led out into the forest, only to reappear a few feet ahead of the cart.It was there that the red trail seemed to fall in step with the black trail, meaning that Alex was following _willingly._

 

_There’s no way that she would do that,_ Lena thought to herself. _Which means that she’s being forced to act normally and not put up a fight._

 

Lena stood upright and blew out a puff of air in frustration.She followed the tracks with her eyes as they continued on the road.“It looks like they have about an hour’s head start on us.Two at the most.We need to hurry.”

 

The three of them fell into step with each other, the pace was quick but not frantic.Kara bit her lower lip as her eyes narrowed on the castle where it was nestled among the mountains in front of them.“What can we expect once we get there?”

 

Lena shrugged.“I can’t be sure, but knowing my mother whatever she has planned will cause the most damage to the royal family.She’ll also try to insure that she takes out as many bystanders as possible.”

 

“Makes sense,” J’onn hummed in agreement.“Causing the most amount of panic possible will distract the King’s Guard.She’ll have a free shot at the King and his family in the immediate aftermath.”

 

“But what about Alex?”

 

Lena couldn’t bring herself to look at Kara, even as she felt the blonde’s gaze burning into the back of her head.She clenched her jaw together to stop the sudden rush of emotions from spilling out.“She won’t survive.That is the only thing I _can_ be sure of,” she ground out.

 

“What kind of weapon are we talking about here?” J’onn asked.

 

“An explosion.When my mother recites the proper incantation, the blood magic will react with the magic already inside Alex.The result will be a massive discharge of magic from within her.”

 

“What!?”

 

Lena picked up her pace even as Kara stumbled to a halt.“We won’t let it get to that.”

 

“But what if it does?”

 

Lena glared at J’onn for even thinking about it.“I _won’t_ let that happen.Not to Alex.She deserves better than that.”

 

Kara blinked as she hurried to catch up.“You have a plan.”

 

“I do,” Lena nodded.“But none of that will matter unless we hurry.”

 

Kara and J’onn simply nodded as the three of them picked up the pace to a light jog.The castle was only about a mile or two away.Even with the difficult terrain ahead of them, they would make it in about thirty minutes, which would hopefully give them enough time to stop Lillian from executing her plan.

 

 

 

 

 

Alex tried to reach up to wipe the sweat off of her brow.She had been trying to fight against the magic hold Lillian had on her, but nothing seemed to be working.Fighting against every step she was forced to take was exhausting, especially when her body refused to listen.Much like it refused to listen to her simple command of raising an arm. 

 

The only good thing about this situation was that their progress was slow in approaching the castle.Lillian didn’t seem to be in any rush to reach the gates that were now only about three hundred yards ahead of them.Alex figured that Lillian would have wanted to make quick work of whatever this plan was and be done with it.It sure seemed like she had been anxious when they had first gotten out of the cart, but now it was like she was dragging her feet.

 

“This is close enough,” Lillian mumbled to herself as she came to an abrupt stop. 

 

Alex narrowed her eyes, the only thing she could do for herself as the older woman turned to face her.Lillian smirked as she reached out and grabbed at Alex’s bindings around her wrists.She quickly looped a rope around the rope that was already there and then secured it with a rather simple knot.

 

Alex went to curse at the witch and surprised herself when she was able to grunt at the woman.Lillian’s head snapped up as she glared at Alex.She snapped her fingers and Alex felt what little control she had just gotten disappear again.

 

Alex took that moment to study Lillian’s face and noticed that she was sweating almost as much as Alex was. _That’s odd,_ Alex thought. _It’s not that hot out here and that hike shouldn’t have been that hard for her._

 

It wasn't until Lillian was tying a gag around Alex’s mouth that Alex realized that she could actually move her fingers.It wasn’t much, but it was something.Then Lillian was done and moving back towards the castle and all control Alex had was once again gone.It was in that moment that she understood — whatever spell Lillian had cast to render Alex useless required her full attention.

 

Alex numbly followed a few paces behind her, the rope tied around her wrists dragging her along. _If I can get her distracted somehow, I’ll at least be able to make a run for it and save as many people as possible._

 

For now though, she was stuck doing exactly what Lillian wanted.So she did the only thing she could do and tried to settle her mind and calm her breathing.When Lillian’s plan started and the panic erupted in the market place, Alex would need her faculties about her. 

 

Knowing the only way to fully ease the thoughts that were currently flying through her mind was by distracting herself, she started counting her breaths in and out until they reached the front gates of the castle grounds.The gates were open as usual, but they were met by several armed men, which wasn’t all that normal.Alex supposed it was because she was bound and being drug behind the rather intimidating woman. 

 

Lillian raised her hands in surrender as the guards surrounded them, their spears pointed at the two women.An imposing man stepped forward, his sword out and pointed at them.The sash he wore across his breastplate and the color of his cloak denoted him as the Captain of the Watch. 

 

“State your business,” he demanded with the air of someone who was used to having his commands followed without question.

 

Lillian shrunk away from the point of his sword.“I heard your king was looking for magic users.”

 

The Captain studied Lillian for a few seconds, his eyes slowly trailing from head to toe before they shifted to Alex.As soon as his gaze landed on her curses, hatred flared in his brown eyes.His stance shifted from relaxed to defensive immediately and the rest of his men followed suit by taking a few steps closer so the points of several spears were now mere inches away from Alex.

 

“He is,” the captain confirmed with a slow nod of his head, his tone of voice cautious.“We don’t usually get a live one though.How come she’s so docile?” he asked as his eyes narrowed as he studied Alex further.  


 

Lillian smiled a little, her posture remaining unassuming.“Beat someone down enough and eventually they’ll follow you.”

 

The Captain took a step closer and glared at Alex.“Why doesn’t she have any wounds on her?”

 

Lillian chuckled at the question.“Her primary abilities are rooted in healing, especially when it comes to her own wounds.She’s one of the ones who swears she won’t hurt anyone.”

 

The Captain scoffed in Alex’s face and spit at her feet.“Yeah, sure.And I’m the King.”

 

Alex watched this entire exchange between her captor and the man who was now towering over her.She was screaming in her head that he actually take a look at her, ask her a question, tell her to move… _anything_ that would prove that she wasn’t in control of herself.But the man refused to acknowledge any of it.

 

“She looks scared as shit,” he laughed, actually fucking full belly laughed as he poked at her.“Bet she’s not used to being the one tied up.”

 

He sheathed his sword and stepped so he was within inches of her.He reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes and then let his finger trace lightly down her cheek and then over to her lips.“Pity that the King doesn’t let us have some fun first.She looks like she’d be able to last a few rounds.  A fine looking thing too,” he mused as he moved her head to the side to get a look at the markings on her neck.

 

_Take these ropes off and I’ll show you how many rounds I can go!Fucking asshole!Don’t touch me!_

 

Alex growled in her head as the man continued to admire her for another minute.He finally took a step back and sighed.“Really is such a shame.”

 

He shook his head and then jerked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing back inside the castle walls.“The King will want to know about this.Come on then,” he pivoted on his foot and stepped past his guards as they opened up and let him through. 

 

Alex couldn’t help but notice the glee that had danced briefly across Lillian’s face.Dread settled thick and turbulent in her stomach as she was dragged along.

 

 

 

 

 

Lena peeked around a tree a few hundred yards away from the castle gates.They had made pretty good time, even if it was obvious that Kara wasn’t really used to moving through the forest.She leaned back and turned to face the two who were crouching behind her.

 

“Okay, here’s how this is going to go, no arguments.”

 

She waited until they nodded, her left eyebrow cocking in question when Kara initially refused to confirm that she understood.The blonde sighed and finally nodded, then waited to hear what Lena had planned.

 

“You two won’t stand a chance against my mother, so do not engage her.No matter what.I need you two to get as many of the people out as you can.Get them as far away as possible.”

 

“What about Alex?”

 

Lena bit her lip and exhaled loudly.This was the part of the plan she knew they would have problems with.“We leave her alone.”

 

“What!?” Kara nearly screeched as J’onn hissed out a “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

“Listen,” Lena held out her hands, hoping to placate them long enough to get them to understand.“If I can keep my mother from initiating the incantation I can eventually get the magic out of Alex.But I can’t worry about her or you two while I’m fighting my mother.That will take every ounce of concentration I have.”

 

“But,” Kara tried to interrupt.

 

“And if you try to go after her, it’s possible that she will attack you.I can’t be sure that she isn’t under my mother’s control.Just focus on getting everyone out, especially the King.I’ll take care of my mother.”

 

At the looks on both Kara’s and J’onn’s face, Lena hung her head.“I don’t like it either.But it’s the only way to go about this.My mother won’t waste the magic she put in Alex unless she’s sure she can take out the King.And if I can distract her long enough for the King to make an escape, she won’t finish the spell.”

 

“Hang on a minute,” J’onn’s eyes searched Lena’s face.For what, she couldn’t be sure, but he obviously found it when realization settled on his strong features.“You’re going to use magic in there.The King will know what you look like after today.He’ll hunt you down.”

 

“One problem at a time,” Lena shrugged.“Are we ready?”

 

Kara nodded, “no choice really.Let’s just get this over with.”

 

Lena took one last moment to look at the two humans that were about to march into the castle with her and go to war against her mother.And they were going to do it without any magic of their own to defend themselves.She wondered briefly if she would be doing the same thing if she was in their position. _Probably not,_ she mused.She had never really been one to get involved in everyone else’s problems.

 

She sighed, cutting off that train of thought.Going down that road right now wouldn’t help them in any way.“Ok, let’s go.”

 

With that, the three of them stepped back on the road and followed it up to the castle gates.When they weren’t stopped by a member of the guard, they proceeded into the inner courtyard.Lena had been expecting the regular hustle and bustle of a large market.She was fully expecting people to be moving around at varying speeds to purchase or trade goods with one another. 

 

Hell, part of her even expected the castle to already be in full panic mode as her mother shot fireballs at fleeing citizens.

 

What she didn’t expect was to see all of the citizens carrying decent sized logs to a pyre that was being erected in the middle of the market. There was a platform that had been built a few feet up the lower layer of logs.It was attached to a large log that was standing vertically in the middle of the structure. 

 

Lena felt all the blood drain from her face as she watched someone attach a set of shackles to the vertical log. 

 

“Tell me that isn’t what I think it is,” Kara whispered from behind her.

 

“It is.”

 

“What does that mean?” J’onn asked from over her other shoulder. 

 

“It means we’re too late.My mother’s plan is already in motion.”

 

 

 

 

 

Alex’s knees were starting to ache.She had been kneeling on the stone floor of the throne room for almost an hour now.Several of the King’s Guards adorned in the deep blue capes attached to their gold armor stood around her, their spears poking into her back and sides.The ropes that Lillian had tied around her wrists had been replaced by shackles.They had taken extra precautions, securing a collar around her neck with chains that were being held by two rather muscular men. 

 

Alex rolled her eyes, pleased that she could do at least _that_ of her own volition.She had hoped that the royal family would give her some form of a trial, let her explain in her own words.But everyone she had come in contact with had simply taken Lillian’s word as gospel.Which, when she stopped to think about how her own village reacted to magic users, kind of made sense.Didn’t mean that Alex had to like it though. 

 

Finally, a set of large double doors opened behind the throne and the King and Queen entered.They took their time to settle themselves on the thrones before the group, even taking time to speak freely to the Captain of the Watch for a few moments.

 

Alex felt herself sit up a little straighter, obviously something Lillian had forced her to do.She wanted to roll her eyes again as Lillian then forced her chin up slightly, giving her a look of defiance even as she was kneeling before the King. 

 

The King, for his part, was all but lounging on his throne as if he couldn’t be bothered by all of this.His shoulders did tense slightly however when he recognized the markings on Alex’s neck and arms for what they were.A delighted smile spread slowly across his face, reaching his eyes and making them sparkle.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me we caught another one?” he asked.The question wasn’t explicitly directed at anyone, but it was the Captain of the Watch that stepped forward to answer.

 

“I know how much you enjoy a surprise, my liege.”

 

Alex desperately wanted to gag at the near-reverent bow the Captain performed when addressing the King. 

 

“And you are the one who brought this vermin to us?”

 

Lillian was respectful in her response.“Aye, my lord.”

 

“Very well,” the King nodded.“Gavin, make sure the lady is paid handsomely.It is rare we get a live one.”

 

The Captain bowed briefly.“Yes my lord,” he responded before turning to leave the throne room to gather Lillian’s reward. 

 

“Tristan,” he motioned to one of the members of the Watch that was standing at the back of the throne room.“Make sure the pyre gets constructed properly.I want the execution to occur at sundown.”

 

“We have already started construction, your lordship.It will be completed within the hour.”

 

The King’s smile broke out into a grin that made him look downright giddy at the prospect of burning Alex alive.“Wonderful!” he clapped his hands and turned to smile at the Queen, who looked less than impressed by the proceedings.“We should also tell the kitchens to prepare a feast for afterward.Ridding the world of one more Witch is cause for celebration!”

 

His exclamation carried an undercurrent of a question as his hand reached out to the Queen.She smiled, though it appeared forced as she took his hand.“Yes my love, it most certainly is.”

 

“Take her to the pillory,” the King commanded with a wave of his hand.“She appears to be manageable enough for the people to get a good look at her.”

 

“Very well, my liege.”

 

With that, Alex was yanked to her feet by the two men who were holding the chains that were connected to the collar around her neck.They began dragging Alex none too gently towards the door at the back of the throne room, Lillian giving up just enough control on the spell that Alex was forced to stumble along. 

It wasn’t a long walk to where the pillory was set up in the middle of the market.The stage she was currently being led to wasn’t too far away from where the pyre was being constructed.Seeing it for the first time sent a chill down Alex’s spine and she broke out into a cold sweat as fear gripped at her chest.She forced herself to take a breath, but the air felt cold too and it burned all the way down her throat.It did absolutely nothing to calm her nerves. 

 

She was running out of time.

 

The people that were already gathering to gawk at her were running out of time.

 

The kingdom was running out of time.

 

Alex tried everything she could think of to slow down the progress to the stockade.She was mentally thrashing against the hold of the spell, fighting tooth and nail against the force that was making her take one step after the other. 

 

The King wasn’t the most benevolent of rulers.His people suffered more than Alex believed anyone should while he sat in his castle getting fat at their expense.He wasn’t even that intelligent, making him a mediocre ruler at best.But the kingdom had been in a consistent state of peace since his grandfather held the throne. 

 

Letting Lillian get away with her plan would surely ruin that peacefulness.Lillian would most likely seize power once the King was dealt with, which would most likely thrust the kingdom into chaos and despair.

 

All too soon Alex was being led up the stairs and her arms were being placed in the smaller holes in the wooden boards.Her wrists were released from the irons momentarily, only to be secured in a set of shackles that were attached to the floor the stage.Next, her head was forced down into the larger hole, dragging Alex’s torso down into a near ninety-degree angle.The chains that connected to her collar were secured to the posts on either side of the pillory. 

 

A member of the Watch brought the top half of the boards down, enclosing Alex’s neck and arms in the holes.He closed a lock around a latch at the end of the boards, officially securing Alex in the device. 

 

He said something as he stepped away from her and off of the stage.Alex honestly wasn’t paying attention to him.Her eyes had been scanning the crowd, trying to find the easiest escape routes when her gaze landed on three familiar faces.

 

Lena apparently felt Alex’s gaze on her as her head snapped up, her green eyes connecting with Alex’s brown.Hope flared dangerously in Alex’s chest.If Lena was here that meant she possibly had a chance of getting out of this alive.

 

Then that thought settled, forcing bile to ricochet violently around her stomach and up into her mouth.She tried to swallow the burning acid back down as the entirety of the situation made itself known. 

 

Half of the citizens who lived within the castle walls were out here.

 

The City Watch and King’s Guard were out here.

 

Lillian was here. 

 

_Lena_ was here _._

 

There was no way this didn’t end with bloodshed.Lillian would use magic, forcing Lena to use magic to defend herself.People would panic and run, trampling each other in their desperate attempt to escape. 

 

Alex tried to shake her head, let Lena know that she should get out of there.Alex could accept that she would most likely die today, but she refused to accept that Kara, J’onn and Lena could die as well.They had to leave, _now_ , before Lillian realized they were here.

 

The tension among the gathered crowd shifted at that exact moment.The air felt thicker, heavier, alive; like lightning was crackling along it, dancing over each person present.People stopped what they were doing, their heads turning from side to side in an attempt to locate the catalyst for this change. 

 

It had been so subtle that most of them had missed it.Alex, however, was in the perfect spot to watch it happen.Lena’s eyes had shifted to Alex’s left and her features hardened in defiance. 

 

It was in that moment that Lillian realized Lena was standing in the crowd.

 

 


	12. Another chapter closes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited showdown between mother and daughter is upon us. Lillian fights for power. Lena fights for Alex. Alex just tries to stay alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have amazed me once again. Seriously, I can't explain how much it means to me to even watch that hit counter go up. Truly, I have been blessed with the best readers. 
> 
> I'm not sure how this chapter came out honestly. I fought with it for a while, but this is what finally decided to stick. I hope it lives up to expectations and that no one wants to kill me by the end. 
> 
> xxxxxxxx

Lena tried to maneuver her way through the crowd that was pushing towards the pyre.She was trying to blend in with the masses, even as they pressed in behind her forcing her closer to the middle of the market place.The last few logs were being placed on the stack as the castle doors opened in the distance and most of the people turned to look in that direction.

 

Lena took advantage of this distraction and grabbed ahold of Kara and J’onn, pulling them towards the back of the crowd.If she had to fight Lillian, it was better if she could pull her mother from the middle of the group.Then Kara and J’onn could try and get people out through the gates at the other end of the castle grounds. 

 

It wasn’t the most solid of plans, but it would have to work.

 

She tried to stay focused on the task at hand, forcing her eyes to go anywhere but to the pillory that was set up near the pyre.But she felt Alex’s eyes settle on her, even as the clicking of the lock echoed throughout the market.Lena couldn’t help herself as she brought her head up and made eye contact with the other woman.

 

She was staring right at Lena.She looked terrified, but there was a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes, making them appear almost amber in color.Lena nodded once, subtly in an attempt to comfort her and to see if Alex would respond in any way. 

 

When the blacksmith barely even blinked, disappointment sunk deep in Lena’s stomach.If Alex wasn’t responding with even a head shake, that meant that her mother was in complete control of the other woman.That would make things worse for everyone.It meant that they would most likely have to fight against Alex as well, depending on how long her mother could concentrate on the spell controlling her.

 

Lena squared her shoulders and did a quick scan of the area to make sure she was leaving enough room for people to run once things got dangerous.

 

“Do we go yet?”

 

Lena shook her head briefly, her eyes going back to Alex and the pillory as she answered J’onn.“Not yet.Right now we have surprise on our side.If we start making a scene too early, it will tip my mother off and she’ll initiate the spell.”

 

Kara hummed as she watched the people press closer and closer to the stage.All of them wanting to get a look at what they thought was a living Witch.It definitely wasn’t something that they saw every day, so most of the castle’s inhabitants were there.

 

The King approached the stage, the Queen right behind him with a small group of the King’s Guard.Lillian had moved to stand among the crowd to the left of the stage, her smile sending a chill down Lena’s spine as she grinned sadistically up at Alex.

 

“Lords and ladies, today has become a very special day indeed!”

 

The crowd quieted down to a slight murmur as the King had begun to address them.Lena looked over her right shoulder at J’onn and then nodded to the right side of the crowd.She did the same to Kara over her left.They both thankfully understood what she wanted and began slowly making their way through the assembled crowd so they were standing on the outskirts on each side. 

 

“What started as a perfectly normal day, will now go down in infamy as a day that we conquered an evil among us!Look at this woman!She looks just like us.Has walked alongside us.Has lived among us.”

 

A large smile stretched across his large face, making him look like an excited child about to receive a present.He stretched his arms out wide as he continued, “she has pretended to be one of us, but today that charade ends!We have discovered the serpent in our midst and today we will slay the beast!” 

 

The crowd let out a raucous cheer as the King’s right fist pumped into the air, before coming to settle in front of his face.He let the noise rise among them for a few moments before he reached his hands out and tried to settle the crowd.He waited until the hush had spread once again.“This woman has been tried and found guilty of the crime of witchcraft.And for that, she will be burned at the stake!”

 

Again the crowd cheered, their fists pumping in the air as the yelled their encouragement.The excitement and anticipation were spreading quickly among the people who were gathered there.It was tangible and moved like a wave from person to person as the crowd took on a life of their own.

 

Until something changed.

 

Lena had been watching everyone around her until she felt someone watching her.She didn’t have to look to know that it was her mother.She took her time dragging her gaze towards where she knew Lillian would be standing, letting her defiance and determination roll off of her in waves. The people closest to her could feel the shift in her demeanor and what had once been a feeling of eagerness was now shifting to anxiousness and discomfort. 

 

The left corner of Lena’s lips twitched upward as her left eyebrow rose slowly as she made eye contact with her mother.Those two slight movements exuded confidence, which apparently angered Lillian to the point that her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared.

 

A murmur started among the crowd again as they sensed that something was wrong.Nothing had happened yet, but the danger was definitely crackling through the air as the people gathered tried to find the source of uneasiness.Lena waited, her fingers curling into tight fists to try and calm herself down. 

 

She needed to let Lillian strike first. 

 

Everything that happened after this was over would depend on Alex being able to claim that Lillian was a witch hellbent on overthrowing the throne.If Lena struck first, it would make it look like Lillian was only defending herself and the royal family.

 

Lillian managed to maintain her composure until the King announced that they would all partake in a feast before they burned the Witch.That was something she hadn’t planned on and her anger grew as people started walking towards the castle and away from Alex.

 

Lena took that as her cue to start making her way to the pillory.If everyone went inside and left Alex alone, she would be able to easily disarm the guards and set the other woman free. 

 

Lillian seemed to understand this and began to speak the incantation under her breath.A few of the guards standing near her took notice and turned to face her.One drew his sword and pointed it at her.“What are you doing?”

 

Lillian’s hand came up and started drawing symbols in the air as she began to speak louder.

 

People standing nearest her began to back up and away from the older woman, confusion obvious on their faces.Lillian pushed past them and began walking closer to Alex, ignoring the shouts coming from a blonde woman and large man telling people to run.

 

She smirked as Alex’s markings began to turn a deep red, the slight upturn of her lips turning into a grin when people started to push back away from the stage.The King was standing still, shocked at the sudden turn of events. 

 

Everything was going to Lillian’s plan.Until Alex screamed and all hell broke loose.

 

 

 

 

 

Alex watched the silent standoff between mother and daughter even as the King was addressing the crowd before her.Whatever it was that Lena had planned, Alex wished she would hurry up.All she needed was for Lena to distract Lillian enough that she lost control of the spell holding Alex still.

 

Once that was gone, she could get out of the stocks and make a run for it. 

 

She was busy trying to plan the easiest route for her to escape when the markings on her skin started to heat up.At first, it was subtle and Alex figured it was her adrenaline kicking in as she got ready to move.

 

Then it got worse as Lillian approached.The pain began to radiate deeper like a hot knife was carving the markings into her skin.And then going even deeper than that.Her skin was on fire.She wanted to scream.She wanted to run.She wanted to grab at each of the curses as they flared even hotter.

 

But she couldn’t.Lillian still had the spell firmly in place.

 

The pain intensified as her vision flashed white.Her knees started to buckle and the spell slipped as the scream that had been fighting to the surface ripped its way from Alex’s throat. 

 

The pain subsided and Alex felt herself sag against the wooden boards holding her in place.A flash of heat exploded near the left side of her head as an explosion tried to push her a little to the right.

 

Alex blinked and was relieved when she realized that she could move her head a little.The market and the crowd slowly swam back into view, the distorted waves in front of her flowed gently until everything snapped back into focus. 

 

People were running in every direction they could.Off to Alex’s right, she could see Kara waving people towards that side of the market and hopefully towards safety.Her sister was yelling directions to everyone and bending down to help up people who had fallen. 

 

Another burst of heat exploded off to Alex’s left and she shifted her attention to it.Lillian’s right hand was up and she was standing defensively.A bright orange streak flew right past Alex’s head and Lillian waved her hand at it before it collided with her.The fireball flew harmlessly off to the side.

 

Alex adjusted her head to better see what was happening around her.It wasn’t much, but if she was capable of moving anything, that meant that Lillian’s focus on the spell holding her captive was slipping.She tried to move her hands and was pleased as her fingers began closing into a fist. 

 

Lena stalked closer to the stage, her right hand up and firing fireballs at Lillian with a simple flick of her wrist.This version of Lena was something completely different than anything that Alex had ever seen on a person ever. 

 

Her stride was slow, deliberate, calculated.Her focus was solely on her mother, her green eyes blazing with an intensity that sent shivers down Alex’s back.She exuded confidence and strength with each movement, and with each flick of her wrist, danger crackled sharply across the distance between the two Witches.

 

Lillian roared and threw her left hand out in desperation, sending a strong gust of wind towards Lena.The younger woman tried to counter, but the spell had been just enough to knock her off balance. Lillian’s hand curled into a fist and she pulled it slightly towards her before thrusting it out and away from her body.

 

Lena’s shoulders curled down briefly before her whole body hurtled through the emptying market, landing harshly a few feet away from where she had just been standing.

 

Lillian laughed as she walked towards the steps of the stage, her eyes never leaving Lena’s prone form.The noise was cut off as her right ankle flew out and she was yanked off of her feet.Her shoulders cracked harshly against the wooden steps as her breath left her in a rush.

 

She pulled her arms in close as she rolled onto her side, the shock at Lena’s counter-attack obvious on her face as her mouth hung open slightly.She recovered quickly however and tossed one of the King’s Guard towards her daughter who was getting to her feet. 

 

Lena managed to catch the poor man before he hit the ground and set him down gently.The distraction was enough for Lillian to throw a fireball of her own at Lena, who was barely able to move out of the way. 

 

As Lena spun to avoid a second fireball that was hurtling towards her, she let her right hand hang down by her side, two of her fingers pointing at the dirt.As she finished the turn and faced her mother, she dragged her hand up to her shoulders with her arm fully extended.The grasping spell managed to snag one of the guard’s swords that had been discarded on the ground nearby.It flew up and towards Lillian who hadn’t been expecting that type of attack.

 

The older Witch was just able to bat the object out of the air as she rolled herself the rest of the way down the steps to avoid it hitting her if she managed to miss the deflection.Letting her momentum carry her off the final step, she managed to get one of her knees underneath her and threw a holding spell at Lena.

 

Lena wasn’t able to avoid this and cursed as her arms snapped down to her sides.She felt her toes dragging through the dirt as her mother lifted her slightly and began pulling her forward.Lena began the incantation to a lighting attack when her mother squeezed her fist together and forced all the air from Lena’s lungs. 

 

Lena could feel panic itching at the corners of her mind.She was stuck in every sense of the word.With her mother squeezing the air from her, she wouldn’t be able to complete a spell to get her out of the situation.She tried to twist out of the hold, but could only move an inch or two. 

 

She turned her attention to Alex.If this was it, she wanted the woman she loved to know just how sorry she was that she had failed them.Her eyes opened in surprise as a movement behind her mother caught her attention.

 

 

 

 

Lillian jerked forward, pain exploding from the back of her head.She stumbled forward, her hand darting back to grab at the source of the pain.She turned to see what had hit her and growled when she saw a man standing behind her, his sword up and the pommel pointed where her head had been seconds before. 

 

She flicked her hand towards him and smiled as he flew effortlessly through the air.She ignored the blonde woman who ran towards him, the name “J’onn” being yelled as she ran towards him.Lillian had more pressing issues to deal with, starting with killing her daughter for her interference. 

 

Alex slumped completely against the wood of the pillory.She shifted her feet so they were once again under her and smiled when she realized she had complete control her body once more.Apparently, J’onn striking Lillian on the back of her head with his sword had been enough to make the Witch lose her hold on the spell.Alex couldn’t help but smile as she shook out the pins and needles that had prickled through her hands and feet.That was one problem down, now all she had to do was get out of these restraints so she could get as far away from here as possible.

 

She struggled against the wood that was holding her in place, even trying to stand up completely and move the top half of the pillory off of her.It budged a few inches before the lock and chains caught, holding everything in place.“Fuck,” she swore as she relaxed briefly before she tried again.She could hear the fight between Lena and Lillian continuing in front of her.She tried again, her attempts intensifying as Lena yelled in pain. 

 

Alex couldn’t help it as she looked up to assess the damage done to Lena.She appeared to be okay, her tunic charred briefly on her right shoulder where a fireball had seemingly made contact. 

 

Lena retaliated with a spell of her own, sending Lillian sprawling backward.Just as Lillian made contact with the ground, Lena’s hand darted out and what appeared to be thorn-covered vines broke free from the dirt and wrapped around Lillian’s torso.Lena closed her fist and pulled back. 

 

Lillian cried out in pain as the vines tightened around her before they drug her closer to where Lena was standing.

 

Alex rocked back onto her heels and bent her knees.If she couldn’t get it to open upwards, she may be able to rock it off the pillars holding it in place.She shot forward, throwing all of her weight towards the wooden boards holding her in place.

 

“Shit,” she groaned as her shoulders made contact with the very solid wood.She hadn’t been able to move it at all.Without a better plan, she rocked back to try it again.She surged forward only to be met with the same result.Not to be outdone, she rocked back for another try.

 

“You wanna dislocate your shoulder?” 

 

Alex stumbled slightly and snapped her head around to watch as Kara scrambled up the stairs to the stage.“Kara!You have to get out of here!Take J’onn and run!”

 

“Not a chance,” Kara said as she glared at her sister for even considering that an option.“Just hang on, I have the key.”

 

“What?”Alex’s mind emptied with that new piece of information. “How…?  


 

Kara waved back pointlessly towards where Lena and Lillian were still going after each other.“A few of the guards actually tried to stop them when they first started throwing fireballs at each other.One of them was the one who locked you in here.”

 

She dangled a rather large ring of keys in front of Alex.“I just have to figure out which key it is.”

 

Alex blew a breath out through pursed lips.“Good.Then once you get me out of here, you need to take the King and run.”

 

Kara tried the first key and shook her head when it didn’t even fit in the lock.“No way. _You’re_ the one who needs to get out of here.”She tried the second key.“If you’re not here when Lillian tries to use the incantation, it might not work.”

 

Alex shook her head and turned her attention to Lena and Lillian who were now physically fighting each other.

 

Lillian managed to land a punch under Lena’s jaw and had obviously put some magic behind it as Lena actually left her feet and flew onto her back.She let the momentum carry her over into a back roll and got back to her feet.She turned and spit some blood out before rushing in for an attack of her own.

 

“I’m not leaving Lena to fight not her own.She’s going to need my help if she wants to beat her mother.”

 

Kara swore as another key failed to open the lock.“If you don’t run, we’re all going to die.”

 

“Maybe not,” Alex mused as an idea crept into her mind. 

 

Kara paused a moment to look at her sister.“I don’t like the sound of that.”

 

“Hurry up.”

 

Finally, a key turned and the lock popped open.Kara beamed as she pulled the chain free and opened the boards holding Alex’s neck in place.She then turned and began trying to open the shackles on Alex’s wrists. 

 

Those took much less time as Kara managed to get both on the second try.Alex stood, her right hand rubbing at her left wrist as she stepped around the device and started moving towards the steps of the stage.She bent down to grab the sword out of the sheath of a fallen guard at the bottom of the steps. 

 

She twirled it in her hand, testing the weight and balance of the blade.It wasn’t as good as one of hers, but it was sturdy and would get the job done.She stopped when Kara yelled her name.

 

“Alex!Please just run!”

 

Alex threw a look over her shoulder at her younger sister, a sad smile spreading on her face.She pointed at the King, who was stepping out from behind a pillar he had been hiding behind.He started moving towards Alex, the hatred and anger twisting his features even more with each step he took. 

 

“Just get him out of here!If he’s not here, Lillian won’t finish the spell!”

 

With that, Alex took off towards where Lena and Lillian were now separated and back to hurling spells at one another. 

 

 

 

 

Lillian managed to hit Lena with a gust of wind and followed up with a bolt of lightning that forced all of Lena’s muscles to seize up.The younger Witch toppled over, her body twitching helplessly on the ground. 

 

Lillian took the remaining steps so she was now standing over her daughter.“You should have just followed me.Now all these people are dead because of you.That girl you care so much for will be next.And then once she kills the King and Queen, I will kill you.”

 

Lena desperately tried to shake off the pain that was coursing through her body.She begged and pleaded with her muscles to listen to her.She tried anything she could think of to get back in the fight.Nothing listened to her though, so she let her eyes slip closed as her mother’s hand raised to deliver the final blow.

 

Alex was still a few feet away when she saw Lena close her eyes in defeat.She pulled her sword overhead and pushed her legs to move faster.When she was within striking distance, she started the blade on its downward arc. 

 

It felt like a hand gripped her wrist roughly even though no one was touching her. She had about half a second to consider that before she was hauled off of her feet and thrown forward, over Lillian’s shoulder and Lena’s prone form. 

 

Alex was able to shift midair so she took most of the landing on her shoulder and hip.She let herself roll a few times, the sword pulled in tight to her chest so she didn’t lose it.She finally skidded to a stop on her forearms and knees a few feet behind Lena. 

 

Alex’s eyes snapped up and took in Lillian’s posture. 

 

Her shoulders were rolled forward and her fists were clenched tightly at her sides.She stepped over Lena with one foot and kicked her in the ribs with the other.Lena cried out and curled in on herself as she continued to twitch where she had landed. 

 

Alex got to her feet, the sword still gripped tightly in her hand.She shifted her weight back onto her right foot and turned so that her left side was facing forward. She pulled the sword up so it was at about shoulder height. 

 

Lillian stopped and smirked at Alex.Her head tilted to the side as her eyes narrowed in amusement.Her hand came up in front of her face and she beckoned Alex forward with the crook of her index finger. 

 

Alex’s grip tightened on the handle before she charged at Lillian, her teeth grinding together in determination.

 

Lillian sidestepped the charging brunette, which is what Alex had been hoping for — that Lillian’s arrogance would push her to toy with Alex a little.Alex twisted as she shot past Lillian and swung the blade out. 

 

Lillian realized her mistake just in time and managed to block the incoming attack with a spell that sent Alex stumbling back.Lillian followed it up with another knockback spell that had Alex stumbling further back.

 

Alex got her feet back under herself even as Lillian tried to drive her back again.Alex’s fingers were starting to hurt with how tightly she was holding the sword.If she could just get Lillian to start the incantation, she could put an end to this.It was a plan that was probably going to get everyone killed, but with Lena incapacitated, it was the only way that Alex could think of to stop Lillian entirely. 

 

She growled as she ran towards the Witch again, her sword swinging in front of her at waist height.Lillian barely moved as Alex was thrown from her feet once again. 

 

Alex groaned as she pushed herself to her hands and knees.She knew she had to get back up and get ready for whatever attack Lillian was going to send her way next.She fell back onto her face as a heavy weight struck her square between her shoulders.

 

“I grow bored of this.I had sincerely hoped that I would be able to try out my new spell, but I suppose anything will do.”

 

Alex looked up at Lillian who was now glaring at the King, who was storming towards them with arrogance and pretentiousness oozing off of him. 

 

“Enough!” he bellowed.He gestured towards some of the guards who were standing helplessly by.“Kill all of them!” he turned so he was pointing at Alex, Lillian, and Lena. 

 

One or two of the guards shifted uncomfortably on their feet.Disobeying the King would end with their beheading, but trying to subdue what looked like three Witches in a battle to the death wouldn’t end any better. 

 

The King paused long enough to glare at them.“You heard me!Kill them!”

 

Alex could feel the color drain from her face as Kara ran up behind the King, her hand trying desperately to grab onto his arm.“Your majesty, we need to leave!” 

 

He shrugged her off and turned to glare at her instead.“How dare you touch me!”

 

Alex’s eyes darted to Lillian whose hand had started to move.Alex’s head whipped back to the King and Kara.She shot to her feet and started to move, desperation fueling her every move.

 

 

 

 

Lillian smiled gleefully as she readied her fireball.The destruction this would cause wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of the spell she had planned.But a quick look at the number of dead citizens laying around, she figured her point had been made.Besides, this attack would absolutely kill someone who didn’t have magic coursing through them.

 

She let herself revel in this moment, her smile growing as she started to laugh.It was time for her to kill this pompous man and take her rightful place on the throne! 

 

Lillian let the fireball fly and waited anxiously for it to make contact with the King’s back.

 

“NO!!!” she roared as Alex just managed to throw her body in the path of the spell.

 

Lena watched in horror as the fireball hit Alex in the back, sending her sprawling into the King and Kara.“Alex!” she screamed as she scrambled to her feet. 

 

She felt her body go numb as Alex remained motionless on the ground, even as the King and Kara began to stir.Even as she ran towards her mother, she could feel herself slipping from her body.She was losing control.

 

With a cry born from pain and fear, Lena changed her direction.Alex was dead.All that mattered now was her mother. 

 

Lena’s body slammed into Lillian’s from behind, sending both women sprawling to the ground.Lena managed to land a few solid punches into Lillian’s face before her mother was able to throw her off.Lena twisted midair and landed on her feet, her hand shooting out and slamming her mother with striking spell after striking spell. 

 

Lillian tried to her best to counter each spell, but for every defensive spell she managed to conjure, Lena had sent two more offensive ones of her own.Lillian stumbled as Lena hit her with another spell that landed on the side of her face.Lillian’s head whipped to the side, black dots dancing across her vision.

 

With a final yell, Lena moved her hand up from waist height, her palm facing up.She thrust both hands outwards towards where her mother had been effortlessly tossed straight up in the air. 

 

Lillian sailed several feet away and skidded to a halt in a crumpled heap, her arms and legs splayed out at odd angles.

 

Lena stood there panting for a few seconds.She started to move towards her mother, but Kara’s whimpered plea of “Alex, please wake up,” snapped her out of her murderous rage.

 

She ran over to where Kara was cradling Alex’s head in her lap.The King was sitting upright a little distance away, absolute befuddlement played across his face as he surveyed the scene around him.

 

Kara’s blue eyes rose to meet Lena’s as she fell to her knees next to Alex’s still form.“Please Lena.Do something.She won’t wake up.”

 

Lena looked away as Kara’s eyes started to fill with tears.She reached a shaky hand out to cup Alex’s cheek.Her thumb gently stroked a bruise that was for a beat before her hand trailed slowly down to Alex’s chest.She needed to know if the other woman was still alive, but she was terrified to find out in case she wasn’t.

 

“Come on, Alex,”Lena whispered to herself as her hand settled over Alex’s sternum.She reached out with her magic and waited a few seconds before she smiled.Alex’s heart was still beating strong. 

 

Moving her hand back up to Alex’s cheek, Lena began to caress the skin there once again.“Come on Alex, time to wake up.”

 

Both women shifted away from Alex in alarm as she sat straight up, her hands reaching up to her neck where her fingers started scratching at the markings there.A scream ripped from Alex’s throat as she started to thrash around on the ground, her right hand now dropping down to grab at another marking.Lena watched in horror as they started to glow a dark red.

 

“What’s happening?”Kara’s strained voice was barely heard over Alex’s screams. 

 

Lena scrambled forward and pulled Alex onto her knees, her hands settling on either side of her face.She pulled Alex in and held her as still as possible, bringing their foreheads together. 

 

“What are you doing?”  


 

Lena ignored the blonde as she began chanting a counter incantation to the one that Lillian was chanting.Lena closed her eyes and focused on Alex more fully.In order for this to work, she needed to be committed to it one hundred percent. 

 

 

 

 

Alex’s markings wavered briefly and slowly started to fade back to their normal black color.The pain she was feeling started to subside as well, making it easier for her to breathe.She let her body sag against Lena’s hands. 

 

“Stop.Lena, stop.You need to take Kara and run.”

 

When the younger Witch didn’t respond, Alex pushed her forehead more firmly against Lena’s, her hands coming up to wrap gently around Lena’s wrists.She tried to catch her breath before she tried again.“Lena, please stop.I need you to leave.Now.I can finish this, but not with you here.”

 

Lena shook her head, her eyes tightening as she continued with the incantation.She grunted in pain as the red markings started to appear on her own skin.It was almost over, she just had to hold on a little longer.

 

“Lena, _please._ I love you.I can’t lose you.You need to go.”

 

“Can’t lose you either,” Lena mumbled as she finished the last line of the incantation.This time she was the one who sagged against Alex.She turned her head briefly into Alex’s hand as it brushed some hair from her forehead. 

 

“What did you do?”

 

Alex sounded scared.Lena hated that she made Alex feel that way, but this was their only choice. 

 

“Why are the red marks on you now!?”

 

Now she sounded desperate. 

 

Lena pushed the pain away.She only needed to hold on for a few more seconds, only needed to do one more spell and this would be over.She sighed as she leaned forward and gently brushed her lips over Alex’s.

 

The kiss was brief, barely a touch at all, but it carried everything that Lena couldn’t say.And it did exactly what she needed it to.It distracted Alex enough for Lena to push her away.

 

“I’m so sorry.I love you,” Lena said as her hand darted out and formed a transportation spell.The last thing she saw was the terror that flashed across Alex’s face as she lurched forward and tried to grab onto Lena.

 

The purple mist dissipated before Alex could grab onto Lena.She needed to go with her, needed to be near her, needed to stop her from doing what Alex feared she was planning on doing. 

 

Alex clawed at the dirt as she scrambled around, hoping to find any trace of Lena, anything that would lead her back to the other woman.

 

“Alex!”

 

Kara’s warning was enough to grab Alex’s attention as she rolled forward and away from Lillian’s oncoming attack.Looking at the older woman, Alex could tell that she had lost all grip on reality.She was bloodthirsty and obviously not thinking clearly as she charged at Alex again.

 

Alex shot to her feet and used Lillian’s momentum against her by grabbing the arm she was swinging towards her.Alex slid in close to Lillian and pivoted, using her hip to toss Lillian over and onto her back.Alex kept ahold of Lillian’s arm and placed a few swift kicks into the Witch’s ribs.

 

“Alex!”

 

The brunette looked up at her sister and managed to catch the spear that Kara tossed to her.Without hesitating, Alex plunged the blade down into Lillian’s chest.She twisted it ruthlessly until Lillian stopped squirming underneath her. 

 

Alex dropped to her knees, her body suddenly exhausted.She knew she needed to move, to try and find Lena.But her body needed a few minutes to catch up to everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. 

 

Kara came to kneel down next to her, her hand settling on Alex’s shoulder.“Are you okay?” she asked, the concern obvious in her voice.

 

Before Alex could answer, a bright red dome-shaped light flashed in the distance.The sound of a massive explosion echoed around them a few seconds later.

 

 

 


	13. You found me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex searches for Lena after the explosion in the woods. Kara and J'onn try to keep up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, is this one super late. And I can't apologize enough for making you all wait, especially after that last cliffhanger. My unit just got two new prospects who needed to be dive trained and that took 5 weeks to complete. Being the unit's medic and dive master, I had to be at all the training sessions and then complete my own tour of duty, which would sometimes mean 16+ hour days with no days off. So towards the end of training, the only thing I could think about was working, eating and sleeping. So I promise I had a good excuse. 
> 
> Now all that training is done and we should be back to posting on a weekly schedule. Again, I am so sorry that this one is so late. You all are the best for hanging in there with me. I seriously have the best readers anyone could ask for.
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    “Alex, slow down.”  
  
    Alex ignored her sister as she continued to trudge through the forest.  Her body ached in ways she had never experienced before.  Everything hurt down to the deepest parts of her bones, and each step was like fire coursing through her veins.  She wanted nothing more than to sit down, to allow sleep to finally take over.  She wanted so desperately to let this day finally end so she could put it, and everything that happened in it, behind her.    
  
    But she couldn’t.  Not yet.  
  
    Not while Lena was still out there.  Alone, hurting, in pain.  
  
     Or worse.  
  
    She refused to let her mind dwell on what worse _actually_ meant.  
  
     _That explosion could have been anything_ , Alex told herself as she forced another foot forward.  _Lena is fine.  I just need to find her and we can go home._  
  
    “Alex!  Please, can we just stop for a second,” Kara’s pleading tone is what finally cut through the haze in Alex’s mind.    
  
    She had been so focused on finding Lena and ignoring her own injuries that she completely forgot that Kara and J’onn may have been injured in the fight with Lillian as well.  Alex took a deep breath and turned to face her sister and friend.    
  
    They stopped in front of her, and for the most part, Kara looked okay.  Slightly dirty and more than a little tired, but overall unhurt.  J’onn had a decent bump on his head that had split open and was bleeding almost imperceptibly.  His eyes did have that glazed over look of someone who was desperately trying to hold onto consciousness.    
  
    Alex immediately felt guilty for this oversight.  She should have left them in the castle and gone after Lena on her own.  That way J’onn could have gotten his injuries looked at, and they could have both rested.  They already went above and beyond what she had expected of them, and that meant the world to her.  They didn’t owe Alex anything at this point, and they definitely didn’t owe Lena anything.  This part was solely on Alex.  
  
    She closed her eyes and blew out a breath as her hands settled on her hips in what she hoped was an authoritative manner.  “You two should stay here and rest.  Then when J’onn is feeling up to it, head back to the village.”  
  
    “Alex, no.”  
  
    “Don’t argue with me, Kara.  You have both done more than I’ll ever be able to repay you for.  Go home and get some rest.”  
  
    J’onn reached up and gingerly touched the cut on his forehead.  He grimaced at the pain that radiated from it.  “Shut up Alex,” he hissed as he brought his hand down and glared at the blood that was apparent on his fingertips.  
  
    “Look, I really appreciate what you two did today, but —“  
  
    “I said shut up,” J’onn turned to face her as he wiped his hand on his pants.  “I just need a second to catch my breath and then we can keep going.  If that’s what you think is best.”  
  
    “I do.”  
  
    Kara worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at her older sister.  “Alex,” she started gently.  “We don’t even know if she’s alive.”  
  
    Alex’s body reacted viscerally as it flinched and curled in on itself at the mere thought that Lena was gone.  She closed her eyes and shook her head a few times.  “No.  She’s alive.  I can feel it.”  
  
    “Alex,” Kara tried again.  
  
    “I would know if she was gone, Kara.  I can still feel her magic in the curses.  It’s faint… softer than it’s ever been, but it’s there.  _She’s_ there.”  
  
    Kara sighed and looked off into the forest, her hands also coming to rest on her hips.  “Where would she even be?”  
  
    J’onn pointed ahead of them, roughly in the same direction they had been heading in originally.  “The flash of light came from that direction.  I say we keep going that way.”  
  
    Alex nodded, her eyes still closed tightly as she focused on the faltering flutter that had once been such a steady thrum.  It was hard to put what Lena’s magic felt like into words, but it had always been there, just under her skin.  It flowed within her blood and was a constant, steady humming that was always comforting, even at the very beginning with the first curse.    
  
    Now it was weak, distant, muted in a way that made Alex’s heart beat roughly in fear.  Lena was alone and she was hurt.  Lena was possibly dying and Alex wasn’t there.  She was failing because _she wasn’t there_.  She needed to get to her, prove to her that she was still here, that she wasn’t going anywhere.  
  
    She needed to get to Lena to prove to her that she wasn’t alone anymore.  
  
    J’onn groaned and rolled his shoulders before he turned to look at Alex.  “Let’s go.  I can see you’re getting restless.”  
  
    “No, J’onn…” Alex tried to protest.  The anxiety was still obvious in her voice, making the sentiment fall flat between them.  
  
    “It’s okay.  I’m okay.  Let’s just go find her, then I can rest as long as I need to.”  He moved past Alex and Kara, stopping briefly when Alex’s hand landed gently on his arm.  
  
    “Thank you,” she whispered.  
  
    He nodded, his gaze lingering sincerely on Alex.  He stayed there a moment longer before starting into the forest once again.  They stayed quiet for the most part, each of them allowing their minds to wander.  
  
    After what felt like a lifetime, Alex stumbled to a stop.  She couldn’t see the large tree she had been using as a marker anymore.  From where she was standing, every tree looked the same.    
  
    “What’s wrong?” Kara asked as she came to a stop next to her sister.  
  
    “I…” Alex ran a hand through her sweat soaked hair.  “I think we’re lost.”  
  
    J’onn turned in a slow circle, his eyes narrowed as he studied the area around them.  “I think we’re still heading in the right direction.”  
  
    “But you’re not sure, and neither am I.  I don’t want to spend any time going in the wrong direction.  Not when Lena’s hurt and alone.”  
  
    “So do we split up?”  Kara asked, her objection to the idea clear in her voice.  
  
    “No,” Alex shook her head.  “Just give me a second to figure this out.”  
  
    Alex worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she stepped a few paces in one direction and then moved in another.  She exhaled sharply as she turned and faced a third direction.    
  
    “Fuck Lena,” she hissed.  “Where are you?”  
  
    As she went to turn back to the direction she had been initially facing, a quick sharp tug hit her in her chest.  Whatever it was felt like it was trying to pull her back the way she had just been facing.  
  
    She brought her hand up and absentmindedly rubbed at her chest where the tugging seemed to turn into a dull ache.  “It’s this way,” she pointed before she started moving again.  
  
    “And we need to hurry.  Something isn’t right.”  
  
    “What do you mean?” J’onn asked as he hurried to keep up with Alex.  
  
    “The magic, it feels…. different.  I can’t really explain it.”    
  
    It took them another couple of minutes before they could see some scorching on the trees they were passing.  Alex began to jog slightly.  If Kara and J’onn couldn’t keep up, that was okay with her.  They could take as long as they needed, but Alex needed to hurry.  
  
    The fluttering in her chest, the link to Lena and her magic, was stuttering and fading.  It was getting harder and harder to detect.  
  
    “Lena!”  Alex screamed as she picked up the pace even more.  If Lena was nearby, Alex needed her to know that she was coming.  She needed Lena to hold on just a little bit longer.  They were almost there.  
  
     The trees were now mostly charred and black in color, some were even bent at odd angles.  What caught Alex’s attention the most, however, was how the trees actually seemed to be thinning out.  It wasn’t a normal thinning either.  It looked like the trees had been blown away by a massive gust of wind.  
  
    Or an explosion.  
  
    Alex put her head down and ran faster, harder, pushed her legs and her lungs until they were starting to burn.   And as she crashed through the last standing tree in front of her, she skidded to a halt.  
  
    In front of her was a — for lack of a better term — a crater.    
  
    It was a decently sized hole. It was shallow and wide, maybe twenty-five yards in diameter.  And at the center was a body.  
  
    She was laying in an unnatural heap.  
  
    She was pale.  
  
    She wasn’t moving.  
  
    Alex’s breath caught in her throat as her mind desperately tried to catch up with what her eyes were seeing.  It was Lena, that much was obvious.  But the fact that she was lying so still was unnerving.  
  
    “Lena,” Alex whispered as if too much noise would make the woman turn into dust and blow away on the wind.  
  
    It was just enough noise, however, to spur her body into action.  She scrambled towards the edge of the crater and slid down one of the sides, coming to a stop a few feet from Lena.  She desperately kicked her way over on all fours and came to a stop near the Witch’s head.  
  
    Her hands were shaking as she reached out for Lena’s shoulders.  She needed to get Lena onto her back.  She needed to see if she was still breathing.  She needed to make sure she was still alive.  She needed to….  
  
    But she couldn’t get her hands to move.  They stalled mere centimeters from Lena’s skin.  She so badly wanted to cradle the other woman to her chest, to hold her and never let her go again.  But she couldn’t.  
  
    She couldn’t know if Lena was still alive.  
  
    She refused to find out if she was dead.  
  
    Because if she didn’t know, if it was something she never learned, she could remember Lena as she was a few days ago.  So young and vibrant and full of life.  She could remember _her_ Lena with the sharp, intelligent green eyes and disarming smile.  
  
    This Lena wasn’t her Lena.  This was a shell of the woman she was supposed to be.  She was so small, so frail, so vulnerable.  Alex was terrified to reach out and touch her.  What if she was the one who broke Lena beyond repair?  What if her touch was what pushed Lena over the edge and into the land of no return.  
  
    Then the fluttering that had been so terrifyingly distant mere seconds ago throbbed once, strong and determined, calming.  Like Lena’s magic was reaching out to her.    
  
    Like Lena was begging her for help.  Like Lena was reassuring Alex that she was still there, all she needed to do was reach out.  
  
    So she did.  
  
    Her fingers gripped Lena’s shoulders tightly and she gently rolled the Witch into her lap.  Her fingers continued to shake as they moved up and brushed dark hair out of Lena’s face.  She paused momentarily by Lena’s mouth, praying that she would feel the tell tale exhalation of air that would prove she was still alive.  
  
    Alex waited, her own breath held and her hand finally falling steady.  She needed to know, even if she hadn’t wanted to before.  So she waited.  Calm, still and waiting for one second.  
  
    Then two.  
  
    Then three.  
  
    Four….  
      
    Five…  
      
    Six...  
  
    Then on the seventh second, she felt it.  It was faint, but it was definitely a gentle puff of air that glanced over her finger tips, so quick Alex nearly missed it.  
  
    And yet it was enough for the flood gates to open, and all of the emotions that Alex had been holding back burst forth as she cradled Lena closely to her chest.  Sobs racked her body as she gently rocked them back and forth.  
  
    “I’m here,” she whispered into Lena’s hair as she silently sent a prayer of thanks to the gods.  “I’m here, baby.  I’ve got you.”  
  
    She looked up as Kara and J’onn came to a stop a the edge of the crater.  “She’s alive!  I need you to figure a way to get her out of here.”  
  
    They ran off without hesitation.  Alex closed her eyes tighter and pulled Lena closer, her forehead coming down to rest against the injured woman’s.  “You’re okay, baby.  You’re okay.”    
  
    She sighed as she held the woman she loved, the relief that she was still alive crashing into her like waves on the shore.  “You’re okay.  I’m here.  You’re okay.”  
  
  
                     
  
  
    Alex paced the small room of the cottage for what felt like the thousandth time since they got back to Lena’s home.  Her eyes darted over to the sleeping form on the bed, her face softening slightly at how calm and peaceful Lena seemed to be.  
  
    A quiet knock sounded from the front door.  Kara pushed it open carefully before stepping inside.  She placed the basket she was holding down on the table, her eyebrows furrowing in concern when she saw that Lena hadn’t moved from the spot she had left her in yesterday.  
  
    “How is she?” the blonde asked as her hand came up and settled gently on Alex’s shoulder.  
  
    All of the tension seemed to drain out of the brunette as her shoulders slumped.  She pinched the bridge of her nose.  “The same as she was yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.”  
  
    “That’s a good sign though, right?  At least she’s not getting any worse.”  
  
    The hand that had been at her face moved violently away from her and towards the bed.  “I have no idea, Kara.  She hasn’t moved in four days.  Four days and the only sign she’s still in there is the subtle movement of her chest every time she takes a breath.  A breath that’s still too shallow, and too damn quick.”  
  
    Kara’s face reflected the sadness she felt.  “Have you tried talking to her?  I’m sure she’d be happy to hear your voice.”  
  
    “Every chance that I get.  I’m getting kind of tired of hearing what I sound like.”  
  
    Kara’s hand gently moved and gripped Alex’s chin.  “Have you been taking care of your own wounds?”  
  
    She moved Alex’s head without much resistance looking at the cut on her ear.  It seemed to be healing rather nicely, even if it would scar slightly.    
  
    Kara sighed as she let Alex’s chin go.  She moved to sit down in the chair next to Lena’s bed and reached out to hold the other woman’s hand.  She may have only met the Witch a few days ago, but she considered her one of her friends.  
  
    Turning to face her sister, her brows furrowed with a question she seemed reluctant to ask.  Alex smiled sadly at her.  “You can ask me whatever’s on your mind, you know that.  You can ask me anything.”  
  
    “What does it feel like here?” Kara gestured towards her own chest, right around where her heart would be.  
  
    “Umm.  What?”  
  
    “Well, you said that you can feel her magic.  That you’ve always been able to feel it, like it connects the two of you somehow,” Kara shrugged as if to say that she herself didn’t quite understand the connection, but was willing to believe Alex’s understanding of it.  “How does that feel?”  
  
    Alex chewed on her bottom lip, her gaze settling on Lena’s face.  “It’s still there.  Further away, more distant that it has ever been, but it’s there.”  
  
    “See?  That means that Lena is still there too.”  Kara turned her attention back to the brunette on the bed.  She reached out and fixed her hair slightly, tucking some of it behind her ears.  “She just needs to sleep a little longer is all.  She’ll come back to you, Alex.  I may not know her as well as you do, but I do know that there isn’t a thing on this Earth that will stop her from coming back to you.”  
  
    Alex’s smile softened.  “Thank you,, Kara.”  
      
    “I was just buttering you up for what I have to tell you next.”  
  
    Alex groaned.  “Let me guess, it’s about mom.”  
  
    Kara nodded.  “Yep.  First off, she sent some sweet rolls and dried meats for you,” the blonde pointed at the basket with her free hand.  “Second, she wanted me to tell you that she wants you to come home.”  
  
    “I can’t do that!” Alex snapped as her arms crossed over her chest.  “I can’t just leave Lena here like this!”  
  
    “I know,” Kara soothed.  “I’m just letting you know what she said.  If you want to go handle that, I can stay with Lena until you get back.”  
  
    “No,” Alex grumbled as she plopped herself down on the other chair in the room.  “I’m not leaving her.  I need to be here when she wakes up.”  
  
    “Okay.  Just a thought.”  
  
    “Besides,” Alex sighed as she reached into the basket and pulled out two sweet rolls.  “If I go too far from the cabin, I can feel the magic trying to pull me back to her side.  It’s like she can feel when I leave, and it makes her panic.  The magic is usually steady and constant.  When I leave, it becomes frantic.  Like it’s searching for me.”  
  
     Alex handed the other roll to her sister and let a comfortable silence fill the room.  
  
    Kara picked at the pastry while she studied the younger woman laying prone in front of her.  “Have you told her that you love her yet?”  
  
    Alex nearly choked on the bite she had just tossed into her mouth.  “What?”  
  
    Kara rolled her eyes and shot an incredulous look at her sister.  “Don’t try and play dumb with me.  I can tell you two love each other.  And even if I was blind and couldn’t see it, what you just described, about  her magic pulling you closer… yeah, that would’ve been enough proof for me.”  
  
    Alex studied the floor, unable to look at Kara when she felt this exposed.  “Yes,” she finally answered softly.  “Right before she teleported away from the castle with her mother’s curse.”  
  
    Kara’s eyes widened.  “Seriously?  That’s when you decided to do it?”  
  
    Alex’s eyes snapped up at the skeptical tone of her sister’s voice.  Kara ignored the glare being sent her way.  “It’s just not very romantic if you ask me.  Definitely right up your alley when it comes to admitting your feelings though.”  Kara thought about something for a second.  “Did she say it back?”  
  
    “Yes,” Alex all but grunted, the embarrassment of this conversation making her uncomfortable.  
  
    Kara smiled.  “Maybe she just needs to hear it again.”  
  
    “When she wakes up.  It would be pointless while she’s sleeping.”  
  
    The blonde stood and walked towards the door.  “It’s your choice Alex, but I think you should tell her again.  Give her something to hold onto, something to fight for.”  
  
    And with that, her sister was gone.  Most likely headed back to the village to do damage control with their mother.  Alex remained in the chair she was in, her eyes staring unfocused on her hands clasped together in front of her.  Maybe Kara was right.  Maybe telling Lena would give the younger woman something to anchor her in the here and now.  
  
    Alex pushed herself to her feet and moved to sit in the chair Kara had been sitting in.  She gently reached out and took Lena’s hand, barely hesitating to lace their fingers together.  She squeezed the fingers that were held tightly in her grasp.  
  
    “Hey you.  I don’t know if you can hear me or not, and that makes this whole thing so much worse.  I wish you could just give me a sign that you were listening.”  
  
    She paused and watched Lena’s face for any sign of movement.  After a few seconds of nothing happening, Alex took a deep breath.  “Okay, here goes nothing,” she said mostly to herself.  
  
    “Lena, I…” she stopped.  The words got stuck again, just like they had been for the last four days.  It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to say those three simple words since they got back to the cottage.  It wasn’t that she desperately wanted to, it was that she couldn’t.  She was terrified that Lena would take it as a goodbye and would let go.  
  
    She knew it was irrational, that Lena would never take it that way.  But the anxiety had been building in Alex’s mind for days now.  What if Lena hadn’t meant it when she said it back?  What if it had been something they had both said in the heat of the moment?    
  
    “You’ve got this, Alex.  It’s just three simple words.  You can do this,” she whispered to herself to try and build up her confidence.  She looked up at Lena and once again got lost in the other woman’s beauty.  Even laying there in a coma, she was still the most breathtaking thing that Alex had ever seen.  
  
    And then it hit her.    
  
    This was the woman that Alex wanted to spend the rest of her life with.  She wanted to go to sleep laying next to her and wake up with Lena in her arms.  She wanted Lena to be the last thing she thought of before she fell asleep, and the first thought she has in the morning.  Lena was it for her, and it was time that Alex admitted that out loud.

  
    She started to rub her thumb idly across the back of Lena’s knuckles, the constant motion calming the emotions that were crashing around inside her head.  
  
    “My gods, you are beautiful.  Easily the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and probably will ever see again.  And I knew from the second I first laid eyes on you that you were it for me.”  
  
    Alex exhaled loudly.  It felt good getting all of this off of her chest.  “I should’ve known then that you would be trouble, that I should’ve run the other way and not fall for you.  But I couldn’t.  Gods Lena, the pull I feel towards you… I wouldn’t be able to deny it if I tried.”  
  
    She moved closer to the bed, her hand tightening its hold on Lena’s.  “And the truth is that I don’t want to.  Ever since I took the first curse from that tree, I was a goner.  And I wouldn’t trade that day for anything, because whether you knew it or not, I became yours that day.  I won’t ever be able to feel this in tune, this connected, with another person.  And I don’t want to try.”  
  
    “I need you to wake up soon, love, because I don’t want to do this on my own.  I don’t think I can if I’m being honest.  I need you to open your eyes baby.”  
  
    Alex got up and sat on the side of the bed.  She leaned down and kissed Lena’s forehead, letting her lips rest there as she continued to confess her love for the woman laying beneath her.  “I need you to come back to me, Lena.  I know it hurts, and I know you’re so, so tired.  But it’s time for you to wake up.  You’ve slept long enough, so open your eyes.”  
  
    She tried to blink back the tears that were forming.  She had never felt so lost as she did at this moment.  “I need you, Lena.   Please baby.  Please come home so I can tell you now and every day after this, just how fucking much I love you.”  
  
    She closed her eyes tightly and kissed Lena’s forehead again before bringing her own to rest there.  “I love you so much.  Please come home.”  
  
    She was so focused on confessing everything that she nearly missed Lena’s fingers twitching between her own.     
  
      
      
  
   


	14. A light in the darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena finds herself suspended in darkness, searching for the one thing that will guide her home: Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all are so amazing with your love for this story. I honestly cannot thank you all enough for coming on this ride with me. 
> 
> All I can say about this chapter is... whoops. I know I promised fluff, and it will be coming at the end. We just have to wade through a little more angst to get there.
> 
> _______________________________________________

Darkness.  
  
Weightlessness.  
  
A sense of calm that had settled deep and seemed content with staying.  
  
These were the things that Lena currently understood.    
  
The world she currently found herself in was confusing, to say the least.  It was cold against her skin, but she felt warm in her core.  It was overbearing without pressing in on her in a suffocating way.  She felt like she was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  
  
It… this place… it simply was.    
  
And so was she.  
  
Nothing made sense, and for the first time in her life, that fact didn’t scare Lena.  It was like time had stopped and everything was just existing.  There was no movement, just stillness.  Like everything was just suspended and waiting for something.    
  
Always waiting.    
  
And yet quite content to do so.    
  
Lena took what she thought would be a deep breath.  She couldn’t be sure if she actually succeeded though because she wasn’t even sure if she still had a body to breathe with.  The last thing she could remember was teleporting away from Alex with her mother’s curse pulsing forceful and hot through her veins.  
  
Then there was a blinding pain shooting through her, tearing her apart from the inside as the magic had reached its limit and released itself into the world.  Lena’s last thought had been praying that she had been far enough away from everyone that she was the sole victim.  
  
She could feel the wrenching in her heart when she thought of Alex.  She could still see the look on Alex’s face when she finished the teleportation spell.  She had been terrified and panic-stricken.  She had been reaching out for Lena, her fingertips just barely grazing the edge of the portal before Lena disappeared.  She had been so close to falling through herself, and Lena was beyond relieved that she hadn’t.    
  
Lena was okay sacrificing herself if it meant that Alex got to live.  Alex, who was too good for this world.  Who had sacrificed herself immediately and without hesitation when they first met.  Alex who Lena had felt inexorably pulled to.    
  
Lena hadn’t wanted to dwell on it before, that bond with the older woman, but it seemed she had nothing but time now.  And she could think of worse ways to spend her than thinking about Alex.      
  
It seemed as though they were destined to be in each other’s lives.  Pulled towards each other in a way that could only be attributed to Lena’s magic.  It had been a surprising side effect of Alex taking her curses on, but if that was what had thrust them together then Lena couldn’t say she was upset.  
  
If she stopped to think about it long enough, she supposed it made sense.  In essence, Alex was taking part of Lena onto herself.  Every spell that Lena cast, every curse she etched into that tree took a part of her with it.  All magic carried with it a marker from the caster.  So when Alex absorbed the curses, she was ultimately taking on those markers—those pieces of Lena.  She was imprinting those parts of Lena in her blood, in her heart, in her soul.  
  
The easiest way for Lena to think about it was to imagine the pieces of herself that were left behind as little strings.  They connected the curses to Lena herself as the caster.  Then when Alex picked up the curse, the string clung to Alex and thereby connecting them.    
  
Again, Lena couldn’t really complain about however they had become so ingrained in each other’s lives.  She would do it all the same exact way if she was given the chance.  Alex was her other half, she knew that now.  Alex made her better, made her stronger.  Alex was it for her.  
  
Now if only she could find a way back to Alex.    
  
That is if she could leave this place at all.  
  
Maybe she was banished to this realm, forced to wait until Alex came to join her.  Maybe she was dead, and this was her punishment for not being able to stop her mother.    
  
Because a life without Alex was hell.    
  
_No_ , she scolded herself.  _I’m not dead.  This isn’t the end for us_.  
  
She wanted to believe that and spent the next however long repeating it to herself until it seemed to stick.  That was harder than she thought because it was difficult to convince herself that this wasn’t a purgatory of some kind.    
  
_Start with breathing,_ she coached herself.  _Breathe in, then out_.  
  
It wasn’t the most brilliant revelation she had ever had, but it was a start.  And at this point, if baby steps would get her back to Alex, then she was willing to start at the very beginning and work her way back.  
  
So she forced herself to take a breath.  Then another.  And another.  She forced the air into her lungs until the burning stopped and it no longer became a conscious effort on her part.  
  
Even as breathing became easier, the darkness stayed resolute and unmoving.    
  
_Next, focus on feeling your body.  Make sure it’s still in one piece._  
  
So she set to wiggling her fingers, forcing herself to feel something solid underneath her.  Whatever it was, it was cold which explained the paradox with the temperature.    
  
This task proved to be harder than simply breathing.  Which, in hindsight, she should have expected.  But it was tiring her out in a way that should couldn’t explain.  It was like something as simple as moving her fingers was sapping her energy at a rate that should be impossible.  
  
Unless…  
  
No, she wouldn’t let herself think that.  It couldn’t be true if she refused to let herself believe it.  
  
That’s when just how cold she was getting made itself known.  It was slowly conquering the warmth within her, steadily taking over her being and consuming her from the inside out.  
  
She was dying.  
  
She was dying slowly and painlessly, just slipping away with barely a whimper of protest.  And there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it.  
  
She couldn’t even fight against the slope she was sliding effortlessly down.  It could be so easy.  Just let herself go and let death welcome her at the bottom.  Slip away silently, peacefully and without a fuss.    
  
It would be so easy.    
  
But Lena had never been one to take the easy way out.  She had always been a fighter.  She just needed a reason to hold on a little longer.  Alex would find her, Lena was sure of it.  She just needed to hold on.  
  
To what though?  There wasn’t anything for her mind to grasp in this place.  Its mere existence was like waves lapping against the shore — insistent, relentless, unforgiving.  There was no sense fighting it, no way to stand her ground against its onslaught.  
  
Then she felt it, the telltale tugging of her magic.  Alex was close and only getting closer.  
  
_Alex!_   Her mind screamed out for the other woman.  _Please!  Help me!  I don’t want to go yet, not without you._  
  
It was as if her magic was reaching out to Alex as the other woman got closer still.  Lena focused all of her attention on that feeling.  She focused on pushing that connection out as far as she could, hoping that Alex would understand what the feeling was and follow it.    
  
As she put all of her energy into the connection, she could feel the darkness creeping ever closer.  It was alluring, calling to her in a way that only one other thing in this life could.  And that one other thing was currently out there looking for her.  
  
So she shifted her focus on Alex, more specifically the kiss with Alex and how that one fleeting moment had meant the world to Lena.  Nothing else in this life had come close to being so emotionally charged as that.  So Lena pulled it to the forefront of her mind and held onto that, hoping that igniting the love within her would force the magic in her to get stronger.    
  
_Alex!_   She was so close now, Lena could feel a tingling running up and down her spine.  _I’m trying to stay.  I promise I’m trying my hardest.  I’m still here.  Please, hurry.  I love you.  Please._  
  
Lena was suddenly more tired than she had ever been in her life.  She couldn’t keep this up, there was no way that she was going to survive this.  
  
“Lena!”  
  
Her heart stuttered and a burst of adrenaline shot through her.  Alex was here.  She was going to be okay, Alex was here and she would fix this.  
  
_Alex._  
  
The voice in Lena’s head was nothing more than a whimper, the embodiment Lena’s remaining strength.  
  
_Alex.   Please…_  
  
The magic inside her coiled tightly with how close Alex was now.  She could feel it curling in on itself, conserving what little energy she had left to protect the connection.  It was as if the magic understood that the bond between the two women was the only thing that would save Lena now.  
  
“Lena…”  
  
It was whispered, so faint that it barely made a mark in the darkness.  But it was enough for her magic to understand that Alex had made it.    
  
The coil tightened just a fraction more before it snapped and expanded rapidly towards its other half.    
  
It was a last-ditch effort, Lena understood that.  It had taken all of her energy to hold on until this moment, and that last expulsion of magic had taken everything she had left.  That was it, it was over now.  She had reached the bottom of the slow descent into the darkness.  
  
_Alex…_ she thought one final time before the darkness welcomed her with open arms.  
  


_____________________________________________  
  
  
Warmth.    
  
Comfort.  
  
Stability.  
  
Those were the things that Lena slowly became aware of as her mind fought its way back to semi-consciousness.  It was so very similar to the darkness and yet drastically different at the same time.    
  
The darkness had been charming and seductive, almost tempting in how peaceful it had been.  And if Lena hadn’t been paying attention, she would have missed the perfectly hidden finality of it all.  It had been so enticing, so peaceful that she had almost allowed herself to succumb to it, to just give up on the struggle.    
  
But Alex had burst through like a beacon of light and hope and had invigorated her will to fight.  
  
This place was different.  The serenity that she was feeling had an undercurrent of pain.  It was dull, muted and heavy, but it was there all the same.  And if she was feeling this, that meant that she wasn’t dead yet.  If there was pain, that meant there was still a part of her that was alive.    
  
She cherished that pain.  She held it tightly against her heart and savored it.  It made everything around her sharper, more focused, more tangible.    
  
It brought with it a sense of light.    
  
It wasn’t quite daylight, but just enough to hint at sunrise after a storm-filled night.  Right when the sky was about to break open with the rising of the sun when the horizon was a dull mix of yellows and reds and oranges.  Nothing quite bright enough to be anything spectacular yet, but promising to be something to behold.  
  
She could feel Alex nearby.  Her magic was humming with the other woman’s presence.  That notion brought with it a sense of joy and relief.  Alex hadn’t left her.  Alex had found her.  Alex had saved her and was saving her still.  
  
Lena reached out with her mind to see if she could feel the other woman.  She was looking for anything that would tether her consciousness to this plane.    
  
There was a quick ghosting of something across her fingers.  Then something more solid as it felt like someone squeezed her hand.  
  
“Hey, you.  I don’t know if you can hear me or not, and that makes this whole thing so much worse.  I wish you could just give me a sign that you were listening.”  
  
Lena’s heart soared at the sound of Alex’s voice.  She was right there, all Lena had to do was reach out, move her hand, anything to get the other woman’s attention.  
  
_Move your fingers damn it!_   Lena cursed to herself as Alex started rambling.  _She sounds so sad.  Let her know you’re here.  Move your fingers!_  
  
“…the truth is that I don’t want to.  Ever since I took the first curse from that tree, I was a goner.  And I wouldn’t trade that day for anything, because whether you knew it or not, I became yours that day.  I won’t ever be able to feel this in tune, this connected, with another person.  And I don’t want to try.”  
  
_I feel it too Alex.  I don't want to do this with anyone but you._   Lena growled when her body continued to ignore her commands.  The love of her life was right there, was sitting right there and she couldn’t do anything about it.    
  
Lena could feel whatever she was laying on shifted slightly.  And then everything around her was Alex.  Her senses, the few that she could control, were overwhelmed with the other woman.  Her scent enveloped her, calmed her.  Her touch strengthened her.  
  
“I need you to wake up soon, love, because I don’t want to do this on my own.  I don’t think I can if I’m being honest.  I need you to open your eyes baby.”  
  
There was a kiss to Lena’s forehead, followed by a burst of emotion deep in Lena’s heart.  She could feel a tingling in her fingers.    
  
“I need you to come back to me, Lena.  I know it hurts, and I know you’re so, so tired.  But it’s time for you to wake up.  You’ve slept long enough, so open your eyes.”  
  
She was tired, but Alex was breaking in front of her.  Lena could hear the barely contained emotion in her lover’s voice.  This separation was scaring Alex, was ripping her apart at her seams.  Lena’s inability to send any sort of a sign was killing Alex.  
  
_Move your fucking fingers Luthor!  Now!_  
  
“I need you, Lena.   Please baby.  Please come home so I can tell you now and every day after this, just how fucking much I love you.  Please come home.”  
  
_Alex!_   She screamed out as she felt her fingers twitch in the hand that was holding hers.  
  
  
___________________________________________  
  
  
Alex had been about to stand up and take a quick break.  She needed a moment after pouring her heart out to Lena only to get nothing in response.  She honestly didn’t know what she had expected.  Lena hadn't given her any sign of still being in there in four days, why would this day be any different?  
  
As she was pulling her hand free from Lena’s, she felt it.  It was brief and feather-light, but it was there.  
  
Brown eyes snapped to the pale face of the Witch laying on the bed.  “Lena?” she asked cautiously, afraid to get her hopes up in case she had imagined it.  
  
The fingers in her grasp twitched again, stronger this time.  
  
“Lena, open your eyes sweetheart,” Alex pleaded with her as she settled back on the bed.  
  
Alex almost cried out when she saw Lena’s eyes start to move behind her eyelids.  She was still in there and she was trying to wake up.  
  
“Come on baby, you can do it.  I’m right here.  Just open your eyes for me.”  
  
This time the fingers curled around hers and eyes that had been closed for what felt like a lifetime fluttered open.    
  
Lena blinked a few times, her eyes still cloudy with confusion as they tried to take in her surroundings.  
  
“Lena,” the exhalation the Witch’s name was such a relief to Alex.  The weight on her heart only lessened when green eyes sought hers out.  “Hey, you’re okay.  Take it easy,” Alex reached out and cupped Lena’s cheek.  
  
The Witch squirmed as feeling returned to her body.  The pain was unimaginable, well beyond what she thought she could ever possibly feel.  
  
“Alex?” she whimpered.  
  
“Yeah, baby.  I’m right here.”  
  
Lena’s eyes finally focused on Alex’s face, the confusion replaced with pain and fear.  “It hurts,” she bit out as her body continued to struggle to find a comfortable position.    
  
“I know,” Alex cooed as she leaned down to place what she hoped was a soothing kiss to Lena’s forehead.  “What can I do to help?”  
  
Lena’s thoughts were scrambling to catch up to everything that was going on since she opened her eyes.  Gone was the peacefulness of the abyss.  Gone was the dull ache that was reassuring in its presence without being so demanding of attention.  Gone was the warmth and comfort of unconsciousness.    
  
This level of wakefulness, of understanding, had been abrupt in its forming.  She had wanted to ease Alex’s pain.  She had wanted to reassure the other woman that she was still there.  She hadn’t wanted her world to explode in such excruciating pain.  The pain she knew that Alex could do nothing to ease.  
  
So she asked for the only thing she could think of that might help in this situation.  The thing that so many people asked for when they were injured and hurting, but Lena had never experienced before in her life.  
  
“Hold me?”  
  
The question had been so innocent, asked in a way hinting to the fact that Lena was already expecting rebuke, that Alex could do the only thing she could think of.  She gathered the injured woman in her arms and held her there.    
  
She cradled Lena’s head to her chest, tucking the top of her head under Alex’s chin.  “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.  Do you hear me?  You’re not allowed to do something that stupid ever again.”  
  
Lena forced her arms around Alex’s waist, twisting her fists in the other woman’s shirt almost as if she feared Alex would leave.  She settled for nodding her head, the only movement she could tolerate at the moment.    
  
Then her fears were confirmed as Alex pulled away.  Lena could feel the panic settling in her chest, her breathing becoming difficult.  
  
Alex pulled back just far enough to look Lena in the eye.  “I’m serious Lena.  You don’t get to do that again.  You scared the shit out of me.”    
  
Lena swallowed past the lump in her throat and fought to bring her breathing back under control.  The serious look in Alex’s eyes softened as she realized what was happening.  “Breathe baby.  Just breathe.”  
  
She brought Lena’s head back to her chest, settling it right above her heart so Lena could listen to it.  “Follow me, Lena.  Breathe with me,” she instructed as she wrapped one arm around the younger woman’s waist, the other hand stayed cradling Lena’s head to her.    
  
It took several long seconds, but Lena was finally able to breathe easier.  Focusing on Alex’s heartbeat and the steady rise and fall of her chest made everything else lessen in its intensity.    
  
Alex’s fingers moved smoothly through Lena’s hair as she tried to soothe the other woman.  She found herself whispering nonsense to the woman, a small smile forming as the younger woman seemed to melt into her.    
  
They sat like that for a few more minutes with Alex simply holding Lena in her arms before Lena pulled back and studied the older woman.  “Did you mean it?”  
  
Confusion furrowed Alex’s brows.  “Mean what?”  
  
“What you said when I was asleep.  Did you mean it?”  
  
Alex’s eyes widened in realization.  “You heard me?”  When Lena nodded in the affirmative, Alex continued on.  “Of course I did.  Every word.”  
  
Lena bit her lip and couldn’t stop her eyes from dropping to Alex’s lips.  She was still in an immense amount of pain and she was beyond tired, but none of that mattered right now.  Now she just needed to kiss Alex, prove to her that she felt the same way.  
  
Alex watched green eyes dart down to her lips and she tried to stop herself from breaking out into a grin.  She needed to make sure that Lena understood one thing before she gave in and kissed the beautiful woman in front of her.  “I was serious though Lena.   You aren’t allowed to go anywhere that I can’t follow.  Not again.”  
  
“Alex,” Lena sighed, the only thing she could get out at that moment before her emotions physically stopped her from saying anything else.  Her body lurched forward slightly, seeking physical contact with the woman holding her.  She hoped that those two syllables were enough for the other woman.  She hoped that Alex could read between what she couldn’t say in that moment.  She hoped that Alex would know just how sorry she was, how she hadn’t meant to hurt her, how she hadn’t meant to leave her but didn’t have any other choice.  
  
She hoped that Alex understood, with those two syllables, with the quiet utterance of her name that carried so much emotion that Lena would do it all again if it meant that Alex would be safe.  
  
“Lena,” Alex’s response was just as heavy.  It was laced with pleading that Lena just listened for once in her life.  It was begging the Witch to let Alex stand with her from now on, to let her fight with Lena, to help protect Lena.  It was begging for Lena to let go of the weight she was carrying just enough to let Alex help her carry it.    
  
“Nowhere I can’t follow.  Promise me.”  
  
Lena inhaled sharply.  She had been made to promise many things in her life.  But this didn’t feel like she was giving up part of herself to be lost forever.  It felt stronger.  It felt like commitment.  It felt like a partnership.  It felt like Alex was swearing to be there no matter what.  
  
“Nowhere you can’t follow.”  
  
That was all Alex needed to hear as she leaned down and captured Lena’s lips in a searing kiss.    She kept it patient but firm, loving with an undercurrent of passion.  She hoped it carried everything she couldn’t put into words.  
  
Lena whimpered again as she tried to push closer to Alex.  She needed to be closer to the woman.  She craved the love that Alex was pouring into the contact between them.  She grasped at her shoulders desperately and pulled her closer.  Even with the mere inches between them, it still wasn’t close enough.  She needed to meld with the other woman.    
  
There was no way for them to ever be close enough.  
  
Alex responded to Lena trying to pull her closer and shifted her head slightly to deepen the kiss.  She wanted nothing more than to push Lena back on the bed and have her way with her, but Lena was still injured, still needed time to process everything. She swiped her tongue along Lena’s bottom lip once, twice, before she pulled back.  
  
Lena whined at the loss of contact and tried to follow Alex as she retreated, but she moved too fast and her body screamed out in protest.  She grabbed at the collar of Alex’s shirt, her forehead dropping to rest against the older woman’s collar bone.    
  
“Breathe through it.  That’s it, love, you got it.”  
  
Alex continued to whisper words of encouragement as she readjusted their position.  She laid Lena down on the bed and then slid in next to her, gathering the Witch gently back into her arms.  
  
Lena’s head automatically came to rest against Alex’s chest, her ear once again finding the blacksmith’s heart.  She sighed and felt her eyelids droop heavily.  
  
Alex chuckled, her fingers easily finding their place in Lena’s hair.  “Sleep.  I’ll be here when you wake up.”  
  
“Promise?”  
  
“Always.”  
  
Lena finally let her eyes drift closed again so sleep could claim her once again.  She slid back into blessed unconsciousness easily, never having felt so loved and protected as she did at that moment. 


	15. And so, every good story must come to an end.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the battle and Agentcorp settling into their domestic life. More fluff than I knew what to do with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is super late, and I apologize for that. But a lot of that is because this is the final chapter and I really didn't want to say goodbye to this story. This started out as a prompt for me to fill to get me through some writer's block and I only intended it to be a few chapters, maybe four at the most. But the response I got from all of you was beyond overwhelming that I felt the need to tell a more complete story. Plus these two deserve it. 
> 
> So as this story draws to a close, I have to take the time to thank you all. Your love and support of this fic is and has been amazing, and I honestly cannot thank you enough. I post on here for my own sanity and benefit, knowing full well that the response may be minimal. You all, however, showed up and blew me away with all of your kind words, and I will be forever grateful. I am seriously humbled by the outpouring of support this story has gotten. I cannot say this enough: thank you, and I love you all. Thank you again, and I'll see you on the next one.
> 
> ________________

_ Alex snapped awake, her eyes flying open at the sound of someone approaching.  She gasped as ropes bit at her wrists, digging in and tearing into the flesh there.  Her eyes darted around the cave she was currently restrained in. _

 

No! _ She thought to herself.   _ There’s no way I’m still here!  __

 

_ Panic flared hot and fast through her chest as Lillian approached where she was restrained against the small rock obelisk.  Alex struggled to push herself away from the older witch, her breath starting to come in short pants even as her fingers tightened around the ropes holding her in place.   _

 

_ She turned her head, trying to put as much distance between herself and Lillian as she could.  The older woman crouched down in front of her and gently ran her finger down Alex’s jaw. _

 

_ “Did you really think you had escaped?  That you and Lena survived all of this?” _

 

_ Alex shuddered and strained her neck as she tried to pull away from the ice cold touch. _

 

_ Lillian’s hollow laughter made Alex’s stomach roll as it echoed around the cave and in her ears.  “Stupid, insolent child. You aren’t going anywhere.” _

 

_ Alex winced as Lillian’s fingers tightened around her chin and squeezed.  The witch leaned in until their faces were mere inches apart. “When this is all over, you and my sorry excuse for a daughter will be dead.  And I will take over ruling the kingdom, as is my destiny.” _

 

_ Lillian shoved Alex’s face to the right with so much force that the side of her head bounced roughly off the stone behind her.   _

 

_ Alex closed her eyes tightly as Lillian stalked back to the altar in the middle of the cave.  “This isn’t real,” she muttered to herself. “You and Lena both survive, you’re both safe. You’re not really here.” _

 

_ Lillian’s laugh reverberated through the large space.  “You can’t really believe that. Look around you, child.  You are still very much here.” _

 

_ She was in front of Alex again, this time her hands dripping with blood as she reached towards Alex’s face.  Just behind her, Alex could see Lena upon the altar, her eyes open and unfocused, staring blankly in Alex’s direction.   _

 

_ Alex struggled against the ropes that held her in place.  “Lena! What the fuck did you do to her! Lena!” _

 

_ Lillian placed her hands against Alex’s face, the warmth of the blood seeped unnaturally into Alex’s skin, making her want to vomit.  “You are still very much mine, no matter how far you think you’ve run.” _

 

_ There was a flash of blinding light.  Pain lanced through Alex’s skull, quick, hot, painful.  An unnatural scream ripped itself from Alex’s throat as she succumbed to the magic pouring into her. _

 

Alex shot up in bed, her eyes flying around the room as she tried to find the threat that had been right in front of her seconds ago.  She could feel her breath coming in short, frantic gasps and her heartbeat was slamming against her ribs as she tried to figure out exactly where she was.

 

She tried to move, but her feet were caught up in something.  And in her desperate need to fight a now unseen danger, she ended up tossing herself out of the bed she had been laying on.  She kicked hysterically at the blanket that had wrapped itself around her ankles. 

 

“Alex!”

 

Alex recoiled violently away from the hands that were reaching out to her, her hands coming up reflexively to protect her head and neck.  She whimpered as she tried to roll away from the person who had appeared out of nowhere.

 

“Okay, I won’t touch you,” Lena spoke softly as she settled down on the floor near Alex’s head.  

 

She had been outside relieving herself and had left Alex sleeping soundly in the bed next to her. To say that Lena had enjoyed waking up like that would have been an understatement.  But right now, at this moment, there was nothing but concern for the other woman.

 

“I’m going to stay right here.  I’m not going to touch you.” Lena stayed as still as she could, even as her body screamed at her to get off the floor and get back into bed.  Everything still hurt even though she had been resting the last few days. The amount of magic that she had taken in would leave her sore and exhausted for a little while longer.

 

Alex continued to lay there, curled in on herself with her hands grasped tightly around the back of her head.  She could tell that she was no longer in the cave, that she was somewhere safe. She was just having a hard time calming herself down.

 

“You’re safe, Alex.  No one here is going to hurt you.  Just breathe, sweetheart.”

 

Lena took a chance and moved a little closer to the prone woman.  She slowly moved her hand out and let it fall just short of touching Alex’s shoulder  She could see the death grip that Alex had on her head slowly loosen, and her body seemed to relax a little.

 

“I’m right here.  I’m not going anywhere.  Just take your time, love.”

 

Alex took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before she blew it out forcefully.  The last tendrils of the nightmare went with it and she let her body sag with relief when she recognized the inside of Lena’s cabin.  

 

“Lena!” she shouted as she rolled onto her back.  The memory of the younger woman splayed out on the altar flashed through her mind.  The sight of the large, jagged cut that had torn the woman’s throat open stayed seared in her mind’s eye, forcing her into action.

 

Lena’s hand shot out and settled on Alex's shoulder as the woman shot up into a sitting position.  “I’m right here.”

 

Frantic brown eyes immediately started examining every inch of Lena’s body for any sign of trauma.  

 

Lena smiled gently.  “I’m fine, Alex. I promise we’re safe.”

 

Alex took a shaky breath and tried to still the tremors running through her body from the adrenaline currently surging through her bloodstream.  

 

“Lena.”  

 

This time her name was said almost reverently as Alex’s hand came up and stopped just short of touching Lena’s cheek.  The younger woman smiled reassuringly as she gently took Alex’s hand in hers and then placed them both on her face, making sure that Alex’s palm was cupping her cheek.  “See? I’m ok.”

 

Alex bit her bottom lip as she fought against the tears that were threatening to fall.  She nodded, slowly at first and then a little more assuredly once she saw that Lena was really in front of her; in one piece and safe.  “You were dead. Your mom had killed you and was coming for me next.”

 

Lena sighed and leaned into Alex’s touch.  She squeezed the other woman’s wrist that she was still holding.  “She’s gone, love. You killed her. You did that. And then you saved me.”

 

Alex’s eyes drifted shut as Lena brought her forehead to rest against hers.  They stayed there for a few minutes, both simply enjoying being close to the other, letting the calming presence of the other one wash over them.

 

“You never told me how you survived that blast of magic,” Alex’s voice was quiet, tentative.  Almost as if she didn’t really want to know how that happened.

 

Lena nodded gently.  “I know.” She pulled back and gingerly got to her feet.  She reached down and helped Alex untangle her feet from the offending blanket, then helped pull the blacksmith up once she was freed.  

 

They shifted so they were sitting next to each other on the bed.  Lena didn’t look at Alex right away. She wasn’t sure she could explain exactly what had happened.  She wasn’t completely sure herself. But she had a pretty good idea, so she would try her best to explain it to the other woman.  She just couldn’t do that while she looked Alex in the eye. 

 

“When my mother started the incantation that would have detonated the magic inside you, I got scared, I panicked.  I didn’t know how to fix it, so I reacted. I knew that I couldn’t sit back and let you die.”

 

“You didn’t know what was going to happen?”  Alex sounded sickened by the thought of that.

 

Lena shook her head and squeezed Alex’s hand, in reassurance, an apology… she wasn’t sure.  “I just knew that I had to save you. You had already done it so many times for me, that I had to do something.  So I took my mother’s magic into my body.”

 

Alex shook her head slightly.  “But how? She only got it to stick to me with blood and a spell in a language I didn’t understand.”

 

“I think,” Lena paused, her eyes becoming unfocused for a second while she thought it over.  “I think I was able to take it on because it was fused with the curses. Those started with my magic, so it was like taking my own magic back, but hers came along with it.”

 

Alex blinked a few times.  “Okay, but then why do I still have the curses?”

 

Lena shrugged.  “I honestly have no idea,” she sighed.  “I just know that once I took my mother’s magic and teleported away from the castle, the pain was so intense that I was hoping it would be over quickly.  Then… then it was just gone.”

 

“What do you mean gone?” Alex asked as she turned to face Lena.

 

Lena turned as well, her free hand gesturing in front of her.  “I don’t know. It just… left. Like a force pushed it from my body and out into the atmosphere.”

 

A pensive silence fell over the room as both women thought about what that meant and how close they had come to losing each other.  Alex finally cleared her throat. “Do you really not know how it happened?”

 

Lena shook her head solemnly.  “I really don’t. I wish I did, but it wasn’t like anything I ever felt before.  There was obviously my magic and my mother’s, but there was this third presence….”

 

Lena stops and a small smile spreads across her face.  “It actually felt like this.”

 

“Like what?” Alex asks, her eyebrow cocking in confusion.

 

“This,” she gestures between them.  “It felt just like what being here with you feels like.  You feel that, right? That slight humming between us?”

 

Alex closed her eyes and focused on the feeling between them.  It wasn’t overpowering or even all that noticeable. But it was there, flowing freely between them.  It felt right, and warm, and safe. “I do,” she said in awe of the sensation now that she was aware of it.

 

It felt more alive than the tie she had previously felt with Lena.  That had felt like a tether, something that was connecting the two of them.  But that one wasn’t alive, it was just there. This new feeling was shifting and adapting like their magic was changing and growing together.  It felt like it was expanding to include both of them.

 

Alex looked up at green eyes watching her expectantly.  “What do you think it means?”

 

Lena bit her bottom lip and blushed slightly.  “I think it means I love you, and that my magic is accepting yours as it’s pair.”

 

“My magic?”

 

Lena nods, “yeah.  You have, at least on some level, a little bit of magic in you.  How else do you think you were able to take the curses?”

 

Alex’s jaw dropped open.  She blinked a few times at Lena.  “You mean not everyone can do that!?”

 

Lena shook her head.  “No. Which would explain why my mother has been focused on you for so long.  She must have seen your ability to absorb magic.”

 

“So I have magic?”

 

Lena chuckled.  “Yes, love. You have magic.  Why do you sound so excited by that?”

 

“Because I have magic!”

 

Rolling her eyes, Lena crawls under the covers of the bed.  “I love how that’s what you took away from what I said.”

 

Alex crawls in next to her, laying on her back and staring at the ceiling.  “Do you think you’ll be able to teach me anything?”

 

Lena yawns as she curls into Alex’s side, her head resting on Alex’s chest.  “Sleep now, magic later.”

 

Alex tries to fight down the smile taking over her face.  She tightens her hold on Lena and leans down to kiss her forehead.  “Love you too.”

 

Lena hums contently as she drifts off to sleep.

 

__________________

  
  


“Are you sure this is a good idea?”  Lena asked as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.  

 

Alex shrugged noncommittally as she stared at the village from her hiding spot in the forest.  “I have no idea. But the last time Kara came to visit, she made it sound like mother was about to get another hunting party together to come kidnap me.”

 

Lena exhaled lowly as her hand sought out Alex’s.  “I don’t like it,” she confessed as she interlocked their fingers.  

 

“I don’t either,” Alex sighed as she squinted at the group of people that were going about their business as if nothing had changed.

 

“Are you sure this is something that has to be done?”

 

“Unfortunately, yes.  At the very least, she deserves to know why I’m choosing to live in the forest with you.”

 

Lena hummed in response.  “I guess.”

 

Alex chuckled.  “Don’t sound so enthusiastic about the idea.”  She leaned over and bumped her shoulder against Lena’s.

 

“It’s not my fault I’m a little worried about this!  The last time you were here, she basically let you get kidnapped by your sister’s insane husband!”

 

“Hey,” Alex soothed as she pulled Lena into a hug.  “I’ll be fine. Besides, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be right here to swoop in and save the day.”

 

Lena grumbled even as Alex placed a kiss on the side of her head.  “There is that, I guess.”

 

Alex smiled against Lena’s hair as she closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the other woman.  “Gods I love you,” she mumbled.

 

Lena tightened her grip on Alex.  “I love you too. Now go tell your mom that you’re running away with me so we can go home.”

 

Alex finally let Lena go.  “I’ll be back before you know it,” she said as she turned and walked into the village, hurrying until she was at her mother’s house.  

 

She paused long enough to take a deep, steadying breath and then pushed the door open.  The smell of cooking meat wafted towards her from the kitchen, letting Alex know where her mother was. 

 

“Kara?  Is that you?  You’re home earlier than I thought you would be.”

 

Alex cleared her throat.  “No mom, it’s not Kara. It’s me,” she spoke up when she noticed that her mother hadn’t looked up from her cooking.  

 

Eliza froze, her back straightening in a way that looked almost painful.  She turned slowly, her mouth hanging open. “Alex!” she squealed when she saw that it was, in fact, her older daughter standing before her.  She rushed over and immediately starting fussing over her.

 

“Are you okay?  Are you hurt? Kara told me what happened.  Why did it take you so long to come and see me?”

 

Alex reached up and stilled her mother’s flailing hands.  “Mom,” she tried gently, her hands curling over her mother’s wrists.  “Mom, I’m okay.”

 

When her mother didn’t stop trying to examine every inch of Alex’s body, Alex had to be a  little more forceful “Mom! Stop. I’m okay, I promise.”

 

Eliza finally stilled, her eyes growing dark as anger replaced her worry.  “Then what the hell took you so long to come home!?”

 

Alex sighed as she slid her hands up so they were holding her mom’s.  “I had to look after Lena. She was hurt in the battle, and needed help taking care of herself.”

 

“The witch?” her mother scoffed as she pulled away.  “You were with the witch? After everything she put our family through, you stayed with her?” 

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  “She’s not a bad person, mom.  She’s just misunderstood.”

Eliza started pacing as Alex continued.  “She saved everyone at the castle. She saved Kara.  She saved me.”

 

Eliza shook her head. “No.   Kara told me what happened.  _ You _ killed the other witch.   _ You _ saved everyone.  You wouldn’t have even been in that situation if it wasn’t for her.”

 

Alex threw her hands up in the air.  “You’re not listening. Even now, after everything.  She took the spell off of me and took it away from the castle.  She did that without knowing that she would survive.  _ She  _ did that.  She saved everyone.”

 

“I don’t believe you!”

 

Alex shook her head, resignation seeping into her tone.  “You don’t have to mom. Believe what you want. I’m just here to say goodbye anyway.”

 

“What?”  That got Eliza’s attention.

 

“I’m in love with her mom.  And I don’t expect you to understand it.  I especially don’t expect you to support it.  But there it is. I love her. I’m in love with her.  And I’m leaving here to go be with her.”

 

“No,” Eliza shook her head.  “No, you’re not.”

 

Alex smiled sadly.  “I am. And I need you to accept that.”

 

“And if I can’t?”

 

Alex shrugged.  “That’s up to you.  But this is happening.”

 

She sighed and walked towards the door.  “I’ll give you some time to think about it.  I’ll be back from time to time, and I hope that one day you’ll want to meet her.”  She stopped before she stepped back out onto the street. “I think you’d really like her if you just gave her a chance.  After all, she makes me really happy.”

 

With that, Alex left and let the door swing shut behind her.  She kept her gaze focused on the ground in front of her until she was once again in the forest.  

 

“Alex?”

 

A shiver ran down Alex’s spine the way one always did when Lena said her name.  She stopped walking and let the younger woman catch up, melting into her touch when Lena’s hand gripped her shoulder.  Alex turned and let herself be pulled into a hug, letting out a deep sigh.

 

“It went that well, huh?”  Lena asked as she settled her cheek on the top of Alex’s head. 

 

“Better,” Alex chuckled.  “Can we go home now please?”

 

“Of course babe,” Lena assured her as she teleported them back to the cabin.

  
  


_______________

  
  


Alex sighed from where she was sitting at the edge of the river.  She had been working on making the fish trap larger, especially if she was going to be living there now too.  Besides, the original one was rushed and half-assed seeing as she did it with only one good arm. Now it was a completely different story.  Now, this new trap was a thing of beauty if Alex had anything to say about it. 

 

“Are you seriously messing with that useless contraption again?”

 

Alex couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face as she turned to look at Lena as she approached.  “It’s not useless! It’ll work, you’ll see!”

 

Lena stopped a few feet away from where Alex was sitting, her hands coming to rest on her hips.  “Uh huh, I’m sure it will, babe. But once again, you know I don’t need it, right?”   
  


Alex scrambled to her feet, the desire to be closer to the other woman taking over.  “I know you don’t need it, but wouldn’t it be nice to not  _ have  _ to use your magic for everything?”

 

Lena smiled smugly as Alex invaded her personal space, her arms coming to rest around Lena’s waist.  “Where would the fun in that be? Besides, I know it impresses you when I use it. Even for small things like this.”

 

Alex nodded her head vigorously, her teeth dragging across her bottom lip.  “I do like it when you use magic. It’s sexy as hell.”

 

“Oh yeah?”  Lena couldn’t help the surprise that settled on her features.  

 

Alex nodded and leaned in so she was mere inches away from Lena’s lips.  “Almost everything you do is sexy as hell. You’re kind of hard to resist.”

 

“Show me,” Lena whispered, her voice cracking slightly on the last syllable.

 

“Every day,” Alex promised as she closed the gap between them, her lips finally capturing Lena’s in a kiss that expressed everything that Alex was feeling.

 

“Promise?” Lena asked between kisses as her hands tangled in Alex’s short hair, pulling the older woman closer. 

 

“Every day,” Alex growled as she picked Lena up and started walking back to the cabin.

 

It pained Alex every time Lena showed even the slightest bit of insecurity when it came to anything really.  It was something the two of them would have to work on together until Lena came to believe everything Alex promised for herself.  But they had time now that they had found their happy ending. It hadn’t been a typical journey, definitely not one that could be found in the usual fairytales.  But it had been _their_ story, _their_ journey, their own personal fairytale that had started with a simple curse in the forest. And Alex wouldn’t have changed any of it for the world.

 

“Love me,” Lena gasped as Alex pushed open the cabin door, her hands still firmly holding Lena in place against her.

 

“Every day,” Alex swore.  

 

And it was a promise she fully intended to keep until their story finally came to an end.  


End file.
